The Power to Morph
by exclamation
Summary: Xover with Animorphs. On the run from the Yeerks, Tobias ends up in Reefside. Meanwhile, Andros has heard about the invasion and learns that Tommy is the next target. They must fight to keep the morphing power safe from the Yeerks.
1. Chapter 1

Notes: This story is a crossover with the TV series Animorphs and is set a few years after the episode Front. In the PR timeline, it's set shortly after the end of Dino Thunder.

For those who haven't seen Animorphs, it's about a group of teenagers who were given the ability to turn into animals in order to fight a race of alien parasites called the Yeerks. The Yeerks live inside people's brains and control them. Every few days they have to come out and recharge themselves in a Yeerk pool using a device called a Candrona.

Near the start of the series, one of the characters, Tobias, got stuck as a hawk. Even though the problem was later fixed, he has to turn back into a hawk every two hours otherwise he gets stuck and loses his ability to change.

If you get confused about anything else, ask me and I'll let you know.

Chapter One

It would be easy to fly away. He could stay a hawk forever and just be free, living in the forests, eating mice and not having to worry about being infested. There'd been a time when he'd thought he'd never be human again and he'd come to terms with it. Now he had a choice.

If he stayed a hawk, he'd be safe. The Yeerks couldn't hunt down every bird. He could hide for the rest of his life and never have to be afraid.

But he'd be alone. He'd be the only hawk able to think like a person. And he'd watch his world be taken over by alien slugs.

There wasn't much he could do to stop the invasion. There was only one of him, all Yeerk pools were thoroughly protected and the enemy knew what he looked like now. Tobias remembered the last time they'd tried to strike back. It had been after Jake was taken and Rachel too, though they didn't find that out until too late. They'd planned to destroy the Candrona and, if possible, to get Jake out so they could free him. They'd been careful and thorough. They'd discussed all possible strategies and made dozens of back-up plans in case things went wrong.

And Rachel had told them all to the Yeerks.

Tobias had been lucky to get away alive. Marco and Cassie hadn't.

And now he was alone, flying from place to place. Occasionally returning to human form to listen for any sign of the Yeerks and just to remind himself what it was he was staying alive for.

He had to cling to the hope that maybe, one day he'd find a way to fight back again. Until then, he just kept surviving.

Tobias flew over woodland his sharp eyes scanning for human movement. He saw a boy and flew closer. A teenager, he saw as he drew nearer, sitting by a river with a sketch pad.

Tobias flew in to land on a branch close by. The teenager noticed and flipped to a clean page of his book, moving slowly so as not to startle him. Tobias smiled inwardly and posed.

It wasn't safe for him to use his own human form. The Yeerks knew what he looked like and would kill him instantly if they saw him. He'd managed to gather a couple of human morphs, but it wasn't easy. Due to getting stuck as a hawk a few years earlier, his body now thought the hawk was his normal state and now he had to be the hawk in order to acquire new DNA.

He waited until the teenager had managed to finish his picture. It was the least Tobias could offer in exchange for stealing his identity. Tobias flew down and landed right in front of the teenager, who looked surprised but pleased by this.

"You're a tame thing, aren't you?" he said. There were a few moments when Tobias wasn't sure what the teenager was going to do, then he reached out and stroked Tobias' feathers.

It was the work of a moment to acquire the DNA pattern and then Tobias was flying away again, back above the treetops before the guy was even out of the trance.

He headed for the nearby town, ready to try out the new morph. It probably wasn't the best of ideas, but one of his other human disguises had been identified by the Yeerks as an enemy and the other was an old woman. Tobias would much rather pretend to be someone nearer his own age and definitely his own gender. Besides, the odds of someone recognising this guy weren't that high if Tobias only planned on being here for two hours.

He landed in an alley behind a row of shops and checked for anyone nearby before morphing into his newly acquired form. It felt weird to have arms again, which probably meant he'd been a bird for too long. Tobias walked around the alley for a minute or so, getting used to the new body.

Once he stopped feeling wobbly, he headed out into the town. Human eyes and ears took in his surroundings, seeing people going about normal lives. He saw friends talking, parents with children, couples holding hands. This was what they'd fought for. This was what his friends had sacrificed themselves for; humanity. Tobias let himself be surrounded by it all, drinking it all in so that he could hold on to the memory when he was hiding and afraid.

"Trent! Hey, Trent!" The name was called several times before Tobias realised it was addressed at him. A pretty girl ran up to join him.

"Hi," Tobias said. He wasn't quite sure the best way to react. Making an excuse to leave and morphing back into the hawk was probably his best bet.

"Are you OK? I was yelling your name for ages."

"Yeah, I was just thinking. I guess I didn't hear you."

"Come on," she said, "I'm meeting Connor and Ethan at Hayley's place."

"No, I should..." was as far as Tobias got.

"No way. You're not getting out of it. We've only got a few more days before you leave and we are going to make the most of them." She grinned and Tobias found himself towed along. He guessed he'd have to find some excuse or slip away later.

If the worst came to the worst, he could always morph. It wasn't like he was trying to keep his identity hidden any more. A couple of days flight and he'd be miles away even if the Yeerks found out he was here.

Besides, this might be useful. Talking to people who assumed he was their friend might let him find out if anything unusual had been going on round here.

Hayley's place turned out to be a café with a load of computers and some games. The girl joined a guy in red soccer kit at a table without waiting for an invitation.

"Hi," she said, "Where's Ethan?" Which meant this guy must be Connor, Tobias surmised.

"Checking out a new game," said probably-Connor with a laugh. He pointed across the room to where black kid was struggling on a dance machine. Tobias tried not to laugh as the guy moved his feet, generally, several seconds after the arrows on the screen were telling him to. Fortunately, Connor and the girl were also finding it amusing.

Ethan finished and came over to the table. He noticed the suppressed laughter.

"It was my first try!" he said.

Connor grinned, "Next round of drinks says I can do better."

The two shook on it and the whole group moved to the dance machine. Tobias went with them. No one suspected him yet and, after all, the whole purpose of doing this was to interact with human beings. Connor got up on the machine and began scrolling through the song choices.

"They call this music," moaned the girl.

Connor picked a song and stumbled his way through the first stage. He failed the second, but it was a close thing. There was no doubt he beat Ethan and Connor left the machine saying, "I wonder what the most expensive smoothie here is."

"You've played it before," Ethan complained.

"First try," Connor grinned, "I just have practice at moving something more than my fingers."

"At least the games I play require a little more intellectual input than kicking a ball round a field."

"Soccer takes a lot of skill and thought."

They continued like that all the way to the counter and started up again once they'd ordered drinks from the woman behind the till. Tobias grinned at them. It was like watching Jake and Marco bickering over something pointless and insignificant. He was almost overwhelmed by nostalgia, thinking how similar all this was to how things used to be back home. They'd hung out, played video games, moaned about high school. And here were people living the life he'd been forced to abandon.

"Are you alright?" the girl asked.

"Just thinking," Tobias said, "I'm going to miss this sort of thing." He remembered what she'd said about him leaving.

"You'll just have to get daddy to pay for you to fly home every weekend," Connor said, apparently deciding to end the argument of computer games verses soccer.

"I think that might get a bit expensive," Tobias said, keeping up the joking tone.

"You're right. It'd probably be cheaper for him to buy you a private plane for your birthday."

Tobias let most of the conversation wash over him, joining in occasionally but just enjoying being with people, laughing and joking. He remembered what it had been like when he'd done this as himself, not wearing another's body and borrowing their friends for a time. He thought of Jake and Rachel. He often told himself he'd get them back somehow, but most of the time he didn't believe it. Now, he was determined that he would find a way, so he could enjoy this kind of companionship and have it not be a lie.

After a little over an hour of idle chat, Tobias excused himself and headed to the bathroom. Enjoyable though this was, he didn't want to get stuck in someone else's life. He morphed back to the hawk and, for a moment, considered flying out the bathroom window. The guys out there would think it strange and no doubt would get very confused when they asked the real Trent about it.

He morphed back into Trent and then returned to the café. He told himself it was to stop them getting suspicious, but he knew he real reason was that this was the first time he'd had fun in months.

When Tobias got back to the others, Connor and Ethan were cheerfully arguing whether Star Wars or Galactic Conquest was the better film. Tobias didn't join in since he'd never managed to see Galactic Conquest due to the two hour time limit on being human. He watched the argument with amusement though, trying to work out which of them was actually on which side. He quickly came to the conclusion that wasn't the point of the debate.

The argument ended when the girl, who Tobias thought was called Kira but wasn't certain, looked up and said, "Oh, hi, Dr O." A man several years older than them was walking to their table. From his serious expression, he wasn't here to talk about films.

"What's up?" Connor asked.

"Not here." He headed to a door by the counter, giving a querying gesture to the woman by the till. She was busy serving someone and just waved the man through. He headed into the kitchen and backroom of the café, Tobias following with the others.

"What's wrong?" Kira asked.

"I've detected morphing energy in this area," the man said.

Tobias went cold. They were looking for morphing energy. That could mean only one thing: Yeerks.


	2. Chapter 2

If you want to watch the trailer for this fic, it can be found on youtube at watch?vhdoO-eSjCLE

Chapter Two

Tobias considered running, but dismissed the idea quickly. He'd just been given the perfect opportunity to find out what the Yeerks were doing. They didn't suspect him yet. Luck or fate had handed him a brilliant chance of finding out a way to strike back, maybe even learning where Jake and Rachel were. He couldn't waste it just because the mere thought of being in the same room as a group of Yeerks terrified him senseless.

"Some energy appeared to be located inside the Cyberspace," the man, Dr O, went on.

"Well, we've been here for a couple of hours," Kira said, "and we've not seen anything."

"Nothing out of the ordinary at all?"

"Ethan played a game that involved moving his feet," Connor joked, "Does that count?" His teasing tone confused Tobias slightly. That wasn't like a Yeerk. To be honest, none of them had acted very Yeerk-like, though he'd assumed the earlier behaviour had just been an act. The slugs could be very good at pretending.

But Tobias didn't see why they would continue the act on their own.

"Well, I want all of you to keep your eyes open and get in touch with me if you see anything unusual. I've got the data I recorded. I'll get Hayley to have a look at it when she'd got a moment and I'll let you know what we find."

They all agreed. But again it was slightly weird. They didn't respond with a "yes, sir" but with a cheerful "sure thing."

"Trent, are you alright?" Dr O asked.

There was a fraction of a second's delay as Tobias forgot they he was supposed to be Trent. Then he answered: "I'm fine."

"You're sure? Your dad's still... himself."

"My dad's fine," he said, wondering what this guy's father could have to do with morphing energy. Dr O stared at him for a couple of seconds and Tobias tried to look like he wasn't bewildered and lying.

"OK," Dr O said at last, "but if you need to talk about anything, I'm here. No secrets, remember?"

"No secrets." He cringed inwardly as he said it. His whole life was one great secret.

"I'll go see Hayley," Dr O said and they all headed back into the café. Tobias thought about what he'd just seen and heard. Maybe they weren't Yeerks. Maybe they were freed controllers. It happened. But he couldn't imagine freed controllers being this cheerful and happy. The ones he'd met had been paranoid, looking over their shoulders for Yeerks and hiding out in case they were re-infested.

These guys didn't fit that pattern any more than they acted like controllers.

Tobias watched Dr O talk to the woman by the till, handing a disk of some sorts over to her. If that contained evidence that he was here, he needed to get hold of it.

"I should head home," Tobias said, "my dad's probably wondering where I am. I told him I'd be home after lunch."

The group didn't seem to find this odd, which was a relief. They said goodbye and Tobias headed for the door. Once outside, he glanced round quickly for any sign of watchers and morphed into the hawk. His plan was to morph into something small that could creep in and get the disk, but Dr O walked out the door. Maybe following him would give some answers. After all, the disk might just be one copy.

Tobias needed to figure out what was going on. If these guys weren't Yeerks or freed controllers, how did they know about morphing?

Tobias flew as the hawk to a rooftop and watched Dr O walk to a nearby parking lot. There were few people about, just a couple of men standing by a van pouring over a map. Dr O walked to, presumably, his car, and the two guys noticed him.

"Excuse me," said one, "we're a bit lost." Tobias almost forgot to breathe. Jake. Not only were the Yeerks here, but Visser Ten was interested in this guy.

Dr O walked over to the van, looking at the map the one who wasn't Jake was holding. "We're trying to get here," the guy said. As Dr O leaned forwards, his guard obviously down, the man grabbed hold of his arms, pulling backwards. Dr O fought back, kicking at the man's legs and trying to flip him.

The side of the van opened, a couple of toughs getting out, seizing Dr O's arms as he tried to fight his way free. He got one arm loose and managed to deliver a precise blow to one of his attackers, but he was out-numbered and the Yeerks had had the initial advantage. Still, it took all three of them to hold him.

Jake reached inside the van, pulling out what looked like a thermos flask. Tobias knew what was coming, and sure enough Jake pulled out a thing that looked very much like a slug.

He couldn't just watch this. Whoever this guy was, he needed help.

Tobias leapt from the building with a cry, diving down, talons out to scratch Jake's face. One of the other men loosed his grip enough for Dr O to get an arm free. A swift kick somewhere painful made another let go, but Tobias had enough to worry about with Jake and the others trying to get hold of him. Jake jumped at him, morphing into the tiger as he leapt. Tobias barely managed to dart out of the way of the outstretched claws. He flew higher, hoping that Jake hadn't managed to acquire a bird, and surveying the scene.

Dr O was holding his own against the three thugs. The man was clearly an experienced fighter. Unfortunately, so were the Yeerks.

"Leave him!" yelled Jake, human again, "Get the bird!"

One of the thugs got out a Yeerk weapon, a thing that looked a lot like a flashlight. Tobias flew, hoping that Dr O had the sense to run. He flew erratically, darting sideways to stop himself being an easy target. He couldn't see behind him, so he didn't know when they were about to fire.

He felt a surge of heat far too close on his right. As he instinctively dodged away, another blast caught his left wing and he tumbled, unable to hold himself aloft. His wing throbbed and burned, and the ground was coming way too fast.

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Tommy saw the hawk fall. He'd reached his car now that his attackers were more interested in shooting down that thing, but he hesitated. Yes, it was just a bird, but it had also just rescued him. Besides, a moment ago, he'd seen a guy turn into a tiger, so maybe he shouldn't jump to conclusions about it being a dumb creature.

He ran to the bird.

One of his attackers raised his weapon. The guy who'd been the tiger slammed a hand down on the man's arm.

"Fool! We need him alive!"

Well, that was something at least. Tommy had got to the hawk and scooped it up by the time the men had reached him again. They were obviously trained in martial arts. Tommy just had to hope he was better, especially now he had a bird under one arm.

Him against three men, he could probably win. But the leader was changing back to the tiger and Tommy wasn't sure his karate training was up to fighting that as well.

He ran to his car, dodging the men who tried to grab hold of him.

The hawk was dumped unceremoniously on the passenger seat. One of the thugs wrapped his arms round Tommy's torso as he was scrambling into the car, but a quick elbow to the nose sorted that. Then he was in the car, fumbling for his keys as the men surrounded the vehicle, the tiger leaping up onto the hood.

Silent cursing the fact they'd stopped wearing communicators when they'd lost their powers, Tommy punched the closest of the men in the face. His keys were in the ignition, but he was strongly suspecting he was about to become a snack for a very big cat.

Then the tiger crouched down, shifting shape back to the man. His hands were clasped at his head.

"Sir?" the thugs hesitated. "Sir, are you alright?"

_Run! _

It wasn't a voice. The word just appeared in Tommy's mind.

But he wasn't going to argue with a voice in his head, particularly when two of the thugs were paying more attention to their boss than him. He slammed the car into reverse and pulled away. One of the guys tried to hold on to the side of the car but he fell quickly, and then Tommy was driving out of the parking lot.

Now he had a moment, he glanced at the bird beside him. It wasn't moving, but Tommy was reasonably sure it was still alive. He wasn't an expert on birds and he figured he probably owed it to the creature to find it the best vet around.

He'd just been rescued by a hawk from a guy who turned into a tiger.

The worst thing was, this didn't even come close to being the weirdest day he'd ever had.

He reached his house quickly enough and carried the hawk gently down to the lab. They'd cleared away the rubble and he and Hayley were working on repairing and replacing all the equipment, but they'd been working slowly. They hadn't though there was any danger around they needed to hurry for. He set the bird down on a table and then headed to the computer.

Sure enough, his sensors had been picking up more morphing energy. He wasn't at all surprised to see the activity centred around the parking lot by Hayley's. Well, that answered one question. Unfortunately, it raised a lot more.

He'd not heard of any group of Rangers who could turn into animals. He couldn't think of anything to actually stop it. After all, Justin had changed his body shape very drastically when he morphed. It was still very strange though.

First things first. He grabbed the phone to call Hayley.

His computer beeped. An incoming call.

He put the phone down, deciding this one was more important, especially when he checked the origin of the signal. Tommy sat down in front of the computer, typing in the command to return the transmission. Andros' face flickered into being on the screen.

"Let me guess," said Tommy, "you're calling to make my weird day even weirder."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Tobias woke up to the sensation of pain. His left wing was agony, screaming at him if he even thought about twitching it. The rest of him ached, but he must have taken the full force of a blast on his wing.

Flight was out of the question.

"Are you going to tell me what this is about?"

Tobias' eyes snapped open. He expected to be a Yeerk cell with the interrogators and a fresh slug waiting for him. Instead, he was lying on a table in some sort of lab. The owner of the voice wasn't speaking to him, but was in conversation with another man, this one just an image on a huge computer screen.

"I'd rather wait until we can speak in person. The information is somewhat sensitive." The man had long, slightly stripy blond hair and looked in his early twenties. The man in the lab, talking to computer, was Dr O. Hopefully that meant he was safe from the Yeerks for the time being.

"Alright," said Dr O, "I'll see you in about half an hour."

"Bring your morpher."

"But I..." was as far as he got. The screen blanked and then split into six smaller screens, each showing different images. Whatever Dr O had intended to say, he never had the chance.

Instead, he started packing. Tobias lay still with one eye open, watching as Dr O got a rucksack and shoved things in it. He couldn't make out what the objects were. Then Dr O started going through drawers and boxes, clearly hunting for something that wasn't keen on being found.

Tobias decided this was his opportunity. Dr O was completely oblivious to him, so Tobias morphed into a smaller shape. A lizard. He hated this morph, but they were small and very fast, even on three legs. His left foreleg hurt as much as his wing had done. Changing shape wasn't going to get rid of the injury, but at least he could try to keep his weight off it. He scurried down onto the floor and then froze as Dr O turned towards the table. He paused.

"Where the hell..." Dr O muttered. From his vantage point on the floor, Tobias was struggling to see above the man's waist, but he guessed he was wondering about the disappearing hawk.

Dr O clearly had more important things to worry about because he returned quickly to his frantic search. Tobias took the opportunity to dart across the floor and into the rucksack. Just in time, as the man apparently found what he was looking for and shoved a couple of things into the bag, before closing it almost completely. In the dark, with everything much closer and larger than Tobias was used to seeing, the best description for the objects was 'things'. They appeared to have some sort of wrist strap, but beyond that, he couldn't even guess what they were.

Tobias found himself rattled and shook in the dark and the man carried to rucksack somewhere. It was really difficult to keep hold of the lizard's tendency to panic. The animal part of his brain wanted to run and hide. Instead, he forced himself to stay calm and tried to see out of the little hole where the zip wasn't quite shut fully. He got a vague impression of trees, then the bag was dumped on a car seat and the gap in the zip was facing upholstery.

Tobias sat back to wait. He was beginning to wish he had just flown by this town. But now he was here, there were so many questions he needed answer. Just who was this guy? And what did he know about morphing?

None of this made sense. This guy obviously wasn't a Yeerk, or Visser ten wouldn't have been trying to put a slug in his ear. But he couldn't be an Andelite either. Could he?

Was it possible that the Andelites had finally decided to join in the war for Earth? Tobias wished he could believe that, but from what Ax had said, the Andelites had too many other battles to fight and they didn't see Earth as important. Elfangor had only come here because of him.

Tobias clung to the inside of the bag, trying to keep out of the way of the contents as they shifted whenever the car turned. He didn't feel like adding any more bruises to his collection. He wished there was a clock in here, though he was fairly certain he had plenty of time until the two hour deadline. He didn't want to risk it though. Being stuck as a hawk was one thing, but he didn't want to spend the rest of his life as a lizard.

The car eventually came to a stop and Dr O shouldered his bag. Tobias had a view out again and could make out a rocky area. Maybe a quarry or something similar, though clearly unused now. Tobias guessed Dr O had come here to meet his friend, though it was hard to imagine why he'd choose this place.

The roar began so gradually that it took Tobias a while to notice it. He eventually became aware of the sound of distant engines. Curious and confused, he risked poking his head out of the gap in the zip. Overhead, something was coming in to land. A ship of some kind, Tobias guessed, coming down over the quarry in a roar of heat and wind.

It didn't look like a blade ship, but it was hard to be sure from a lizard's perspective.

Tobias' own fears added to the nervousness of the lizard mind and he darted back inside the bag, hiding from this new arrival.

When the roar of engines stopped, his human mind managed to regain enough control to look out. Dr O was walking towards the ship.

"Tommy, it's good to see you again," said a voice. Well, at least he now knew a first name for Dr O.

"Andros," Dr O responded. Tobias wondered if that was a name or a greeting.

"This is my sister, Karone," the first voice continued.

Dr O turned to greet this person, "It's nice to finally meet you."

Tobias's view out let him see the first speaker and recognise him as the man whose face had been on the computer screen. Dr O was turned away from him now, but Tobias had a perfect view of him raising a gun.

_Look out! _

He sent the thought speech instinctively and Dr O spun round towards the first speaker.

Not in time.

There was the sound of a blast and then Tobias nearly lost his grip as the rucksack moved suddenly, no doubt as Dr O fell. Tobias considered attacking, but he'd have to morph to the hawk first and his wing wouldn't take it. Instead, he decided to stay hidden and try to figure out what was going on. He'd only projected his thought speech to Dr O. The other two had no idea he was here.

Tobias watched out the hole. An arm came into view and then things started shifting. Someone was dragging Dr O somewhere.

"Do you want a hand?" a woman's voice asked.

"No, I've got him. You go to the bridge and get ready for take off."

The rocky ground was replaced by smooth metal as Dr O was taken inside the ship. Once inside, the man pulled the rucksack off and then hefted Dr O up and over his shoulder, grunting at the effort. The rucksack was abandoned.

Tobias waited a few moments until he was certain no one was around, then he crept out. A few seconds later, he'd shifted through the hawk morph and was back in human form. He peered at his left arm, seeing the burn marks and bruises that covered it. No wonder it had hurt. He wouldn't be flying any time soon.

Still, at least he could walk normally in his human form without worrying about the injury. He crept along the corridor away from the ship's hatch, listening out for any sounds of a crew. There was no sign of anyone. He passed a few doors as he walked and decided that he'd better try one of them, otherwise he'd end up just walking round here until he got caught.

The first door he tried led into a bedroom. It was nothing extraordinarily interesting, just a bunk against one wall, a few messy piles of clothes lying around, including some that suggested the room's occupant was either female or very popular. A few books and some jewellery lay on a table and there was a large photo on the wall of a couple. Tobias wondered if this was Karone's room.

The next door he tried was also a bedroom, but this one was neatly tidied to the point where it almost appeared that it had never had an occupant, though Tobias noticed a smaller version of the same photo was framed on the dresser.

He headed on through the ship, checking doors occasionally. This place was huge!

He heard the sound of running feet and dived through the nearest door. He saw the stripy-haired guy racing along the corridor in the direction Tobias had come and he wondered if he'd been detected.

Then the whole room shook violently. Something hitting the ship? A fault somewhere?

The room shook again and Tobias struggled to stay on his feet. He reached out on instinct to grab something. Unfortunately, he reached with his left arm and ended gasping in pain as sharp stabs of fire flowed up his muscles. He clung to the wall with his right arm and waited for the pain to fade and the shuddering of the ground to stop.

He took the opportunity to have a look at the room he'd ended up in. There were consoles or machines on most of the walls, except for one, which had wholes large enough for a person to fit through, each with steps to help climb in and a little, coloured light over the top. There were lockers as well, each with a coloured line on the front. Tobias pulled one of them open.

Jackpot! There was something that looked very much like a gun inside.

Tobias took it and headed back into the ship. Dr O had to be round here somewhere. The ship shook again, more violently this time. For a moment it seemed that gravity had almost turned sideways. Tobias ended up on the floor, landing on his right arm. He climbed to his feet again, muttering that he didn't need two injured arms.

A couple more doors and he found him. He was lying on a bed in some sort of lab. There was some strange device lying next to his head, half hooked into a console. There were no signs of injury. Tobias checked the guy's pulse and it seemed normal. He just looked asleep.

"Hey. Hey, wake up." Tobias set the gun down and shook him by the shoulders, but Dr O made no signs of waking up.

"Dr O? Tommy?" He shook the man again. The gun must have been a stunner of some sort.

"Who are you? How did you get on board?"

The voice came from behind him. How could he let himself be snuck up on? He knew he was surrounded by enemies and now he was probably going to end up on a table hooked up to a computer like Dr O. Tobias, seriously regretting putting the gun down, turned around to see who was there.


	4. Chapter 4

It's been commented that Tobias' injury should have healed when he morphed. However, this issue was never addressed in the TV show and I haven't read any of the books. I apologise to any fans of the novel series who think I've made a mistake, but I will be consistent with what I've written so far.

Chapter Four

Tobias gaped.

"You're... You're a robot?" Either that or it was a midget in a metal suit. Standing in front of him was a shiny, red and gold figure with a huge head. This was quite incredible. Even with years of fighting the Yeerks, he'd never seen technology like this. And, fortunately for him, it didn't appear to be armed.

"My name is Alpha Six. You are trespassing."

"What have you done to him?" Tobias asked, nodding to Dr O. He took this chance to pick up the gun. He didn't know what sort of abilities this robot might have. He'd rather be armed if he was about to be shot down with laser vision or something.

"It's very rude not to give your name when someone introduces themselves," the robot said, putting hand on its hips in what appeared to be a sulk. Tobias almost laughed. A robot with concepts of politeness?

"It's also very rude for someone to shoot a guy who's just greeted them as a friend," Tobias said.

"Andros thought it best to incapacitate Tommy until we can run a neural scan," responded the robot, "He'll be perfectly fine when he wakes up. I wouldn't hurt Tommy. He's my friend." They were scanning his brain? Tobias glanced at Dr O and saw the machine that had been left beside his head.

"What are you scanning for?" Tobias asked, hoping his guess was right.

"A Yeerk." It wasn't the robot spoke. A young woman stepped in through the door. Blond and pretty, Tobias recognised her as the one from the photos. It must have been her room he'd found earlier. "We want to make sure he's really him."

"OK," said Tobias. He stepped backwards, away from the bed. He still held the gun, but it was pointing at the floor. The woman thought for a moment, looking between the gun and Tobias' face. Then she gave a small smile. She went to the bed and finished off the job of hooking up the device.

"How did you get on board?" she asked.

"I'll let you know when I decide I can trust you."

"I think we should be the ones worrying about trusting you. You have just invaded our ship."

"You just shot someone I'm trying to protect."

"That's the problem with this war," she said, pressing buttons on the console, "you can't know who your enemies are." There was a deep sadness in her voice and Tobias wondered if she'd lost someone. He'd heard the same sadness when Jake talked about Tom, and he was sure it would line his own words if he spoke of Rachel.

He watched the woman press the device up against Dr O's head. The console screen flickered to life showing a scan of the man's brain. The woman moved the device around, checking all possible angles, though it should have been clear from the first moment that there was nothing there that shouldn't be.

"No infestation," she said.

"Visser ten tried to infest him," Tobias said, "but I stopped him."

"I guess I should thank you then."

"I'd rather you'd wake him up, because I really need some answers."

"I'm going to wait until Andros gets back here. Tommy's likely to be annoyed and he doesn't know me."

"If 'annoyed' is as bad as it gets, you should consider yourselves lucky."

"We had good reason to believe Tommy was a Yeerk target. We had to be careful."

"I take it you're fighting the Yeerks?"

"They decided they wanted to use us in their war," she said, "and we are not going to let that happen." There was something in her tone, the mix of anger and pain, that Tobias recognised. She'd lost someone.

"My name's Tobias," he said, "I've been fighting the Yeerks for a while now." He was tempted to add "and losing" but didn't.

"My name's Karone," the woman said.

A minute or so later, the stripy-haired man, Andros, walked in the room saying, "Well, they won't be able to catch up with us..." He broke off, staring at Tobias, "Who are you?"

"He's here to protect Tommy," Karone answered for him.

"I saw you shoot him and I didn't want all the effort I put into saving him earlier today to be wasted."

"You saved him?"

"Visser ten was trying to infest him."

"I ran the scan," Karone said, "There's no sign of a Yeerk."

"I guess I'd better face his wrath then," said Andros with a grin. He opened a cupboard and took out what Tobias hoped was some sort of injector. It looked a little too much like a gun. But Andros just went to the bed, pressed the tip to Dr O's arm and squeezed the trigger. A few seconds later, Dr O started stirring.

"Easy," Andros said, a calming hand on the man's arm, "Don't try to move too fast. Let the effects of the stunner wear off."

Dr O blinked up at Andros. "You'd better have a damn good reason for shooting me."

"I thought you might have had a mind-controlling parasite in your brain," Andros said.

Dr O stared at him for a moment, then reached up to rub a hand over his eyes as consciousness was becoming easier. "That sounds... reasonable," he said. He pushed himself into a sitting position, Andros carefully helping him up.

"Are you feeling alright, Tommy?" asked the robot.

"Tired," Dr O said, "but getting better by the second. It's good to see you again, Alpha. Andros been looking after you?"

"Of course."

Dr O looked round the rest of the room and his gaze fell on Tobias. "Who are you?"

"We thought he was a friend of yours," said Andros.

"He told me he saved you from the Yeerks," added Karone.

"I've never seen him before in my life."

Tobias sighed. Now was the moment of truth. He was on a spaceship he had no way off, heading to somewhere else in the galaxy and he was outnumbered. This was where he found out if these guys were enemies or potential allies.

"I was the hawk," Tobias said.

Dr O put his head in his hand. "This has been a really weird day," he muttered. Then he looked up at Tobias, "You can turn into a hawk?" Tobias nodded, "Like that guy turned into a tiger?"

"That was Jake. He was our leader. Then the Yeerks got to him and put a slug in his brain. Now he's controlled by one of the most powerful Yeerks on Earth."

"First of all," said Dr O, "I want a coffee. Then, when my brain starts working again, I want an explanation."

"I'll go get some," said Karone, "Do you want anything, Tobias?"

"Something to eat would be nice."

"Any preferences?"

"I haven't eaten anything other than rodents for the past few months. Any sort of human food would be nice."

"Andros?"

"I'm fine, thanks."

Karone headed out the door. Dr O stared at Tobias for a while.

"You can really turn into a hawk?"

Tobias decided the simplest way to convince him would be to morph. Besides, it meant he wouldn't have to worry about getting stuck for another two hours. He shifted into the hawk shape.

_This isn't the only shape I can take. _He sent the thought to Dr O, who looked surprised but not enormously shocked.

He morphed into Trent. Now Dr O looked surprised. He was gaping.

"I might as well be honest about everything now," Tobias said, "When you next see Trent he'll be able to tell you he wasn't at the café today. You ought to know that it wasn't him you were speaking to."

"How... How many times have you pretended to be him?"

"Just today. I wasn't really intended to trick anyone. I just took his form to be human for a while without running the risk of being recognised for myself. Then Kira saw me and insisted I spend the day with her and others. I didn't set out to lie to you. Then, when you started talking about morphing, I assumed you were working for the Yeerks trying to find me."

Tobias morphed back into the hawk and then to his own human form, giving Dr O those few moments to collect his thoughts together. It seemed that one person in the room knew something about him though.

"Are you an Andelite?" Andros asked.

"No, but one gave me and my friends the power to morph."

"I admit I don't know much about the Andelites, but I thought they didn't share technology with anyone any more."

"Prince Elfangor decided it was worth bending the rules to help us defend Earth."

"I'm still confused," said Dr O, "Who are the Andelites?"

"The original creators of morphing technology," Andros answered.


	5. Chapter 5

Any delays in updating may be based on the fact I have seven exams coming up that I really ought to be revising for.

Chapter Five

Tommy was feeling significantly better for the coffee. He was still confused, but he suspected that was the result of the situation rather than the effects of the stunner. He couldn't really be angry with Andros for shooting him, since he knew what he was capable of when he was controlled by evil.

They were still in the medical bay of the Astro Megaship, but now Tobias was sitting on the bed, eating sandwiches with his free hand while Alpha tended to his injured arm. Tommy wasn't sure what to think about that guy. He was willing to believe the young man had saved his life, since the hawk hadn't behaved the way Tommy would have expected a bird to. And it explained how it had just vanished from the lab.

But Tobias had admitted to pretending to be Trent. Tommy had no way to be certain he was telling the truth about only doing it the once, or that he didn't pretend to be other people. Combined with the apparent telepathy, it was enough to make Tommy very nervous about him.

For now, he had enough to worry about trying to understand the explanation Andros was giving of the Yeerks and the Andelites. Andelites were the original creators of morphing technology and were so good at it that now all their species could change shape at will. Some treaty years ago that Andros didn't know much about had resulted in the people of Eltar being given the original power coins and some information on morphing.

"Power coins?" Tobias asked.

"A power source that allowed us to access the morphing grid," Tommy said.

"And the morphing grid is? No, wait. Just carry on with the story and I'll collect up questions for the end."

Andros continued his explanation. The Yeerks had started a war with the Andelites some time ago. Now, it had settled into something of a stalemate, but with the Yeerks at a distinct advantage. They were now slowly gaining ground against their enemy by conquering other worlds to provide new hosts, letting them expand their armies. But the war had been going on so long now that the Yeerk leaders were anxious for any breakthrough that would let them conquer the Andelites quickly.

"What kind of breakthrough?" Tommy asked, though he already had a suspicion.

"Morphing technology," Andros answered.

"But they already have it," Tobias said, "Visser three took an Andelite as a host and two of my friends are now controllers."

"Maybe so, but that's only of limited use to them. If they learn to control the morphing ability, they can make entire armies of people stronger, faster and more powerful than the Andelites can cope with."

"So they targeted me," Tommy muttered. He'd long ago stopped asking why it was always him. He'd come to the conclusion, when he found the Dino Gems, that the power would keep sneaking up on him just when he thought he'd found a normal life.

"How did they know to find me?" Tommy asked.

"They'd already infested a former Ranger," Karone said. It was the first time she'd spoken since Andros had begun his exposition. Tommy looked across at her. She was leaning against the wall, staring at the floor. There was something utterly dejected about her pose.

"We can be certain," Andros went on, "that the Yeerks know the identity of several Rangers and all of them are potential targets. We came for you first for the same reason, no doubt, the Yeerks targeted you soonest. Your work on the Ranger histories and the team-up with the other red Rangers a couple of years ago means that just about every Ranger on Earth at least knows who you are. If the Yeerks get manage to infest you'll, they'd be in a perfect position to target all the others."

"Then where the hell are we going?" Tommy demanded. "I'm all for helping other planets, but if the Yeerks are after Rangers, surely we should stay on Earth and stop them."

"There's something more important we have to do first."

"More important?" Those words made Tommy angrier than he had been about being shot. "Earth is my home. It's my job to defend it. The Rangers have just had their powers completely drained. They need me there."

"The Yeerks have been trying to invade Earth for more than four years," said Tobias, "A few days isn't going to make any difference."

Four years? How was that possible? He and Hayley had put so much effort into building the lab so that they could be alert for any signs of attack. How could they miss a full scale alien invasion?

"There's an Andelite research base," Andros went on, "that's been working on turning morphing technology into a weapon. I don't know any more than that. But the Yeerks have somehow found out about it and they're attacking. If they get their hands on this research, it'll mean they can win the war with the Andelites. After that, they'll attack the rest of the universe."

"Why can't the Andelite's just destroy the research?" Tobias asked.

"I don't know," Andros answered, "Maybe they can't. Maybe they just think it's too important. Either way, the Andelites don't have the resources to defend the base and there's no way for the researchers to escape. If we don't get there soon, the Yeerks will have the key to winning the war."

It made sense. If the Yeerks won this battle, it sounded like Earth would be lost anyway. Of course Andros would think this more important than trying to protect the other former Rangers. It didn't explain why Andros had decided it was worth taking a detour to rescue him, but Tommy decided he'd just be grateful that he had.

"If I can help in any way," Tobias offered, "I will."

"Right," said Tommy, "what's our plan of attack?"

"I was thinking we go in with lasers firing," said Andros, "but I'll be happy to shift that to plan B if you've any better ideas."

Tommy headed off to war room with Andros where he had plans of the base and maps of the area of space around it. Tobias was left in Alpha's capable hands, with Karone staying to watch him. Tommy remembered the last time he'd been here, fighting to stop the Machine Empire with a load of former Rangers. He wondered how many of them the Yeerks had already got to.

He forced himself to think of something else. Worrying wouldn't protect his friends.

"How many Yeerk ships are we likely to be up against?" Tommy asked.

"The message the Andelites sent said four, but more might have arrived by the time we get there."

"And their weapons capabilities?"

"The blade ships have some weapons, but nothing like as powerful as the Astro Megaship. We should be able to take out half a dozen of them without any difficulty."

"And yet the Andelites can't?" For a race that had apparently been fighting a war for ages, they didn't seem very capable to Tommy.

"There's also a mothership."

"Let me guess, that's the real problem?"

"It's weapons probably aren't as good as ours," said Andros, "but it has good shields and it's designed to be very hard to do any serious damage to it even unshielded. All they need do is wear us down."

So they needed a plan to destroy a Yeerk mothership. Andros brought the schematics up in the display screen at the centre of the table. Tommy stared at it and wished Hayley was here with him. He saw a load of rooms. She'd be seeing engines and weapons and points that would cause the most damage if attacked. A part of him wanted to say they should just go with the option of firing all their weapons from the moment they arrived, but he knew Andros wouldn't have brought him here if it were that simple.

"You said the ship's designed to be hard to destroy from an outside attack," said Tommy, "but would it be possible to get on board?"

"Possibly. Karone's been working with Alpha on a way to make our teleporter work through their shields. We won't know if it does though until we arrive and actually try it."

"Right," muttered Tommy. He stared at the plans, trying to come up with the best plan of attack if they could get onboard. He was a little short on ideas of what to do if not, so he figured he'd tackle one problem at a time. Things had been so much easier when Zordon had just told them where a monster was and they'd gone and kicked it 'til it blew up.


	6. Chapter 6

Anyone know how temporal difference learning works? How about Walsh Hadamard transforms? If you feel like telepathically projecting the knowledge into my mind, the next chapter might be up sooner. If not, I really need to spend my time working for my exams.

Before anyone asks, the reason Tommy's using the Zeo morpher is because this is set after the end of Dino Thunder, so the gem's power is completely drained.

Chapter Six

Power Rangers. Tobias had heard of them of course, but never been entirely convinced they were real. When the first reports had come out, everyone said it was just a big hoax. Then, when more reports followed, people said it was just some scheme to increase the town's tourism. But the reports had kept coming.

Then Tobias had been given morphing powers and been too busy saving the world to care about some guys in coloured suits halfway across the country.

He never thought he'd meet them.

"How do people become Rangers?" he asked.

Karone shrugged. She was sat at a console on the bridge, working on something to do with teleportation. Tobias had been told to stay by her because they didn't want him wandering around the ship on his own and Andros and Tommy didn't want him to hear too much of their plans. He hoped they'd change their minds about that part when it came to the fight, because he really didn't like the idea of going into things blind.

"Some planets have training schools and the best students become Rangers," Karone said, "but for most people it seems to be a case of being in the right place when someone's needed to save the world." She gave him a grin, "Though knowing the identity of Rangers is a good way of getting short listed when the next candidates are needed."

"I'm not trying to be one," Tobias said.

"That makes you very rare."

"I've got enough problems of my own without trying to be a superhero."

"One we've fought this battle, we might be able to help you."

"Maybe, but even if we save Earth and defeat every Yeerk in the galaxy, we can't bring back those they've taken."

Karone sighed. "No, we can't."

Tobias looked at her for a long moment. Her face was fixed on the screen in front of her, her fingers moving over the buttons. She was working, but there was a distance in her expression as she saw only something lost.

"Are they a controller," Tobias asked, "or dead?"

"Who?" she looked up from her work in surprise.

"Whoever it is you've lost."

She looked away again. "Dead. He attacked Andros. They fought and..." Her voice cracked slightly with restrained tears then she snapped at him, "Look, I don't want to talk about it!"

"Ok," Tobias said. Instead, he looked at the controls he'd sat in front of and tried to figure out what they were. He was sitting at the helm of an interstellar space ship and he almost didn't dare move in case he accidentally pressed a button that would turn off the air or something.

After quite a while, Karone spoke again. "What about those you've lost?"

"A few dead, a few controllers. My girlfriend Rachel's still alive. I hope to free her someday."

"Once we get through this," Karone said, "I promise we'll find her and we'll get that thing out of her."

"Thank you."

The bridge door opened and Tommy and Andros entered. Alpha followed behind them. Tobias wasn't quite sure how to react it the robot. It acted though it was a person, or at least as though it thought it was. It wasn't like Tobias had never heard of anything like this, but at least Eric had looked human.

Though technically he was still a hawk, so maybe he shouldn't be too fussy about who he counted as people.

"We should arrive soon," Andros said, "Tobias, you're going to stay on the ship with Karone. We're going to try and teleport onboard the mother ship. Karone, all you have to worry about are the blade ships. Try and stay clear of the mother ship. The little ones you should be able to take care of."

So Tobias was being left as a passanger. He supposed it made sense. After all, they didn't know him. But it was ridiculous for him to be left on a ship he knew nothing about while there was fighting going on. That at least he could help with. He told them so.

"You're injured," Tommy said, "Andros and I are able to fulfil this mission. There's no sense risking you when you're already hurt."

"My arm feel's better already," said Tobias, and it did. He wasn't quite sure what the robot had did, but the agony had faded to mild pain.

"I'm not going to change my mind about this. You stay here and try to make contact with the Andelite base."

"OK," Tobias conceded, "but someone will have to show me how to use your communication system." He was beginning to wish he hadn't followed Tommy. He was feeling utterly useless. Though he had been getting used to feeling like that recently.

"I can activate the system," Alpha volunteered. So, basically, Tobias was completely unnecessary here.

"We're about to arrive," Karone warned.

Tommy and Andros stepped up behind her. A large screen at the front of the bridge showed a display of moving stars. Tobias resisted making the joke that they'd left it on the screensaver. Then the stars changed from streaks to dots and a planet appeared in the bottom corner, other dots surrounding it. Ships.

"Ready?" Tommy asked.

"Ready," Andros responded.

"It's morphing time!" His hands moved in a well-practiced pattern, devices appearing around his wrists and then locking together as he crossed his hands. "Zeo Ranger five: red!"

There was a red light around him and armour appeared from nowhere, wrapping around him until there was a soldier in a red suit, face completely covered.

"Let's rocket!" said Andros. His hands moved in a different sequence of gestures, but the effect was similar, leaving him standing there in a Ranger suit that was not quite the same.

"I've locked onto the coordinates of the mothership," Karone said.

"We're ready to teleport," Andros said.

"Good luck," Karone told him. She hit a button.

Red light enveloped both Rangers. It glittered around them and then faded, taking them with it.

"They're in," Karone said, breathing a sigh of relief.

The momentary calm was short-lived. A frantic beeping started.

"Several ships are converging on our position," Alpha told them.

"Starting evasive manoeuvres," Karone said, moving to a new console and pressing buttons there. "Alpha, charge up the main lasers."

Tobias stared at the main screen, where five blade ships came into view, all ready for the kill.


	7. Chapter 7

Well Number Theory was an almost disaster. I could do one question. Assuming I got full marks for it and given the grades I have already for coursework, I only need to get 22 marks out of the remaining 60 to get a 2:1. I'm not sure I managed it.

Still, at least the exam is over with. Hopefully I can get a good enough mark in Differential Geometry to make up for this one.

Chapter Seven

Rangers didn't kill. It was such an important rule that it was never actually given as a rule. It just went without saying. Rangers could blow up slimy monsters and bizarre creatures all they liked, but they'd never take a human life.

Yet Tommy knew there were dozens, possible hundreds of innocent human beings on this ship that they were planning on blowing up. People who'd simply been in the wrong place when the Yeerks were looking for hosts. People whose normal lives had been shattered by aliens they probably didn't even believe existed. People who didn't deserve any of this.

Tommy knew from his experience of being turned evil that if he were in their position, he'd rather be dead than help his planet and others be overrun. But that didn't mean he had the right to choose for them. No one did.

This was for Earth. This was to protect his friends, his family and everyone else on his planet. He would stop these people suffering the fate of watching themselves hurt loved ones.

But he kept thinking that just because something was the lesser of two evils, it didn't prevent that thing being evil.

Still, he walked with Andros through the corridors of the Yeerk ship. His laser was out, ready for action but they hadn't passed anyone. He'd expected more activity than this, given that this battle was supposedly about some weapon that could determine the outcome of the whole war. He wasn't going to complain though.

"I think this is it," said Andros as they reached a door. Tommy positioned himself across the entrance from Andros, his gun raised. He nodded and Andros pressed the switch that made the door open. Both looked into the room, weapons ready. No one. They stepped through into what was clearly the engine room, tall machinery glowing in the darkness.

"I'm surprised we've not met any guards," Andros said. Tommy lined up the "you had to say it" comment for the moment the inevitable army filled the room. But no enemies came.

"Me too," Tommy admitted.

Andros headed over to a control board and started pressing buttons.

"Do you know what you're doing?"

"Not at all, but I'm sure I can't be doing it any good. Go press that big red button."

"You mean the one with what looks like a warning label over it?"

"That's the one."

Tommy pressed it. Alarms started going off. "I think this would be a good time to run."

They fled the engine room, Andros leading the way. He'd had a lot more time to study the plans of this ship and so knew where to find their next target. They'd take out the engines and the weapons. If it didn't destroy the ship, they'd hopefully cripple it long enough for them to get the Andelites out of the research base. Tommy knew they couldn't fight a war without causing deaths, but he would much rather they just disabled this ship to spare the lives of the hosts.

They saw only one other person, who was too concerned about running towards the alarms to notice a couple of figures hiding in the shadows. Andros and Tommy waiting to be sure the man had gone, then they continued through the ship at a hurried pace. Tommy just had to hope Andros knew where they were going, since he was completely confused. Tommy was now getting more concerned about how empty the ship was. They really should have met with more resistance.

"This should be the weapons array for this section," said Andros as they reached a large room filled with equipment. Wires and tubes lined the walls and ceiling, pipes flowing from huge machines out in the direction of the hull. Tommy got his laser out.

"Try to be careful," he said, "we don't want this place blowing up while we're still inside it."

"How careful can we be?" Andros asked, "We're shooting lasers at powerful weapons systems." Tommy had to admit Andros had a point, but he still made sure he stood near the door and only fired at equipment that was on the opposite side of the room. There were a series of minor explosions and a lot of sparks, even from machinery nowhere near the place Tommy was shooting.

"Do you think that's enough?" Tommy asked. One of the pipes burst and a stream of blazing liquid gushed out. The two men legged it for the door, closing it behind them, listening to the loud bangs and feeling the heat of the chaos through the metal.

"I think that's enough," Andros grinned. Tommy smiled back. This was almost fun.

Andros reached for his communicator. "Karone, how are you doing?"

"We've got five blade ships on us," came her frantic voice. "No! No! The blue switch!" she yelled, presumably at Tobias. "We'll call you back." The communication signal cut off.

"She'll be fine," said Tommy, only slightly doubtfully.

"Yeah," said Andros, "she knows that ship inside and out. She can keep her head. She'll be alright." It sounded more like a prayer than a statement of fact.

"Karone can handle herself," Tommy said, "Come on, we've got a job to do."

They headed back through the innards of the ship. Tommy was getting worried now about the lack of resistance. It was usually a very bad sign when things went this easily.

"How many weapons systems are there?" Tommy asked, wishing he'd spent more time staring at the plans while they were on the Astro Megaship.

"Five. Well, six if you include the one we just blew up."

The route they were taking was blocked by a door, which opened to reveal the surprised expression of the guy who'd been coming through the other way. Tommy aimed his gun, ready to force the man to cooperate. Andros just fired.

Tommy stared at the corpse on the deck.

"Come on," Andros said, "we should hurry. We don't know how well Karone's dealing with the others."

Tommy still stood staring. Andros hadn't even hesitated. True, this was war and the man had been an enemy, but Andros didn't even try to find another solution. Had Zhane's death changed him so much that he would use killing as a first resort?

"Tommy," Andros said and Tommy followed him, his thoughts still racing with what he had just seen. Andros was an ally, a friend even. More than that, he was a Ranger. But Tommy had just seen him kill a man who wasn't even threatening them. With all his plans for this mission, he hadn't planned for that.


	8. Chapter 8

Well, I know I can pass last year's Differential Geometry exam without any trouble. Let's just hope I can do the same with this year's. 

Chapter Eight

"There's something coming up behind us! I think it's a missile or something!" 

The ship lurched violently. Tobias had to cling to the console to stay on his feet. As the bridge stabilised, Tobias studied the screen and the positions of the little dots that represented the people trying to kill them. 

"It's following us!" 

"You can launch countermeasures," Karone told him, "Hang on." For a moment, the floor drop away from beneath them. His stomach churned unpleasantly, then gravity got used to the new situation and Tobias slammed into the ground. He scrambled up and pressed the buttons he thought were the ones Karone had pointed out earlier. 

"That works too," she said. 

"What did I do?" 

"You fired lasers. But you got the thing. Damn it, another blade ship's coming." Tobias watched the dots on the screen and pressed the lasers again. 

"The buttons to the left of those ones control the aim," Karone called out as the ship made another alarming change of direction. Tobias was learning quite quickly, but that was only because the other option was to die horribly. He pressed the buttons, seeing lines on the display screen and guessing they had something to do with targeting. He fired again and one of the dots disappeared. 

"Yes!" 

"Now get the other four," Karone told him. 

The ship shook again, but this time it wasn't the smooth, if somewhat sudden, movements caused by Karone at the helm. Instead, the whole room vibrated and for a moment the lights dimmed. The words Karone uttered were unfamiliar and alien, but Tobias guessed that they weren't polite from context. 

"One of the cooling systems has blown," she said, "and the back-up hasn't come online. With this much strain on the engines, it won't be long before they overheat unless we can do a manual restart." 

"What do you need me to do?" Tobias asked. 

"Get down to the engine room and I'll direct you from there." 

"Where's the engine room?" 

Karone paused for a couple of seconds. Then she raced from the room, yelling over her shoulder, "Alpha, you've got the bridge." 

The robot went to the flight controls, Tobias turned his attention back to trying to figure out the weapons. He fired off the lasers repeatedly, on the grounds that it couldn't really do any harm, at least not to them. He was beginning to figure out the aiming and managed to blow up another of the blade ships by the time Karone got in touch from the engine room. 

"Everything's back online," she said, "I'm heading back up to the bridge." 

Tobias managed to blow up another blade ship and the others pulled back a little, which meant it was harder to shoot them, but it also made it easier for Alpha to evade. This gave Tobias a few moments to calm his panicking thoughts. This wasn't necessarily a good thing, since rational thoughts were no more comforting than the instinctive terror. He wasn't used to ships and space battles. He wished for fights where he could rely on his wings and talons. Karone returned and took up her station again. 

Tobias wondered how long it had been since he'd last morphed. He didn't want to change now, but he didn't want to get stuck like this. 

"Hold tight," Karone told him. She pressed a series of buttons and the ship swung about. Tobias didn't even try to follow what was going on. He just clung to the console as momentum fought with the ship's constant changing of direction. Then the ship stilled and the screen showed nothing where the dots of the ship had been. Karone pressed something else and a large screen at the front of the bridge lit up, showing only wreckage. 

"How did you do that?" Tobias asked. 

"Flying between them. They were all too busy worrying about where we were to pay attention to their own ships until it was too late." 

Tobias sank into one of the few chairs and allowed himself a few seconds of blessed relief before he had to start worrying again. He took the chance offered by the brief calm to transform into the hawk and back. Karone was already signalling her brother by the time he was human again. 

"We've got rid of the blade ships," Karone said, "How are you doing?" 

"Three of the weapon controls are completely destroyed. We're heading to the next one." 

"I'm getting some strange energy readings," Karone said. Then her voice changed from confused to frantic. "Get out of there!" 

"What?" 

"Get out of there now!" 

There were two pillars of red, glittering light and the Rangers appeared on the bridge. Andros got half-way through asking what the problem was when the mothership exploded. 

"We must have done more damage to the engines than we thought," Tommy said after a long silence, staring over Karone's shoulder at the readings from the explosion. He sounded sad about it. Tobias was just glad to be alive and resisting the temptation to do an embarrassing celebration dance around the bridge. 

"We won," he breathed. He'd just been in a space battle and won. A whole mothership full of Yeerks had just been blown to smithereens. For a day that had started off with him eating mice for breakfast, things were going very well. He sat there, rested his head in his hands and let the adrenaline wear off. He needed to sleep. 

But Tommy was already signalling the Andelite base, telling them why they'd come. Tobias tried to pay attention as Tommy and Andros struggled to persuade the Andelites to accept human help. It took a lot of work to convince them that the Rangers weren't going to turn them and their work over to the Yeerks at the earliest opportunity. Names like Zordon and Eltar were dropped into the conversation, with only limited success. At last, the researchers agreed to let the Astro Megaship land to transfer the most precious of their discoveries onboard. 

"Come on," Karone prodded Tobias, "the sooner we get things loaded up, the sooner you can go to bed." 

Tobias stood up, wondering what time it was back on Earth. It didn't help that he didn't know how long he'd been unconscious in Tommy's lab and he could only guess about the length of time the journey had taken, but he was sure it must be well past midnight. 

He followed Karone and Tommy from the bridge; Andros was piloting the ship down to the base. Tommy gave him a reassuring grin. "Tough day?" 

"One of the weirdest I've been through." 

"But only 'one of'?" 

Tobias smiled, "Yeah. Only 'one of'." 

The room they arrived at was huge and empty. A cargo bay, Tommy explained. They didn't know how much stuff the Andelites wanted to bring and besides, the ship had been built for humans. A few minutes later, the ship landed and the large cargo bay doors slid open. In the hanger outside, a group of half a dozen Andelites waited, crates piled up. Others were moving to and from the room, large blue centaurs with boxes in their arms. 

Tobias helped carry things into the cargo bay. The first box contained piles of discs, like the one Elfangor had given him. He wondered how much information must be on these. Probably this one box held more data than a whole building full of computers on Earth could manage. There were pieces of machinery that the Andelites wouldn't let him near as they carefully manoeuvred it onto the ship. Tobias tried not to be offended. Ax might have been a friend, but most of his species were utterly paranoid about letting others see their technology. Besides, the sooner this was done, the sooner he could get some sleep. 

He carried boxes like a dumb animal. He didn't want to draw their attention. Elfangor hadn't been allowed to share the morphing power and Tobias didn't want to know what might happen if these Andelites figured out just who he was. Best just to get through this mission and get home. 

_Deceivers! _Thought speak, projected from one Andelite to all that could listen. _They would share our secrets with the Yeerks._

Tobias turned in confusion, looking round at the bay and the hanger to see if he could figure out what was going on. 

Then something hit him. 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Tommy opened his eyes, quickly assessing the situation and not liking what he found. A grey room, featureless but for two slightly padded areas on the floor, and a door that had no apparent means of opening. A cell. He was lying on one of the padded areas, which was large enough to support a body larger than a human's. The other section of padding had another figure lying on it.

Tommy stood, moving slowly as dizziness threatened to overwhelm him, and he went across to the other prisoner. It was Karone, apparently asleep. He shook her gently and she awoke with a groan.

"Huh? Where are we?"

"A cell, I think. I'd guess Andelite."

"Andros!" Karone sat up quickly, panic on her features. It was quickly replaced by a slightly unfocused expression as she nearly collapsed back down again. Tommy put a hand behind her to support her until the dizziness passed.

"He's not here, but it looks like the cells are only built for two," Tommy said. The room was big enough for more, but if this place had been built by Andelites, it had been designed with much bigger people in mind. "If they wanted to hurt us, they've had plenty of opportunity. I'm sure Andros is fine."

Karone nodded, but didn't look like she was completely convince.

"Hey," Tommy said, "your brother can look after himself."

Tommy left Karone sitting there while he investigated the cell. There were no openings in the walls apart from a tiny grate in one corner, presumably to let air in, but the holes were so small even a fly wouldn't be able to fit through. There were no handles or controls near the door and there was nothing that could be used as a weapon. Their captors had taken Tommy's morpher.

"I guess we just have to wait," Tommy said.

"Why would they lock us up?" Karone asked, "We were helping them."

"I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding." Tommy did his best to sound confident as his mind ran through dozens of potential plans and dismissed them all immediately. The only plan he stuck with was to wait and see who came through the door and what they had to say. Once he actually had some idea what was going on, he could think of a proper plan.

When the door did open, an Andelite came in carrying a tray with two bowls of something and two glasses of water. The Andelite set the tray down on the floor, not saying anything in answer to Tommy's questions as he tried to discover what had happened. The alien left once it had done its job, leaving the two prisoners no clearer on the situation

"So, we know the Andelites have us prisoner," said Tommy, "unless that was a Yeerk controller." He investigated the tray. The bowls held some kind of brown mush which, when sniffed, smelled slightly fruity.

"If they wanted to kill us, they needed have kept us alive this long," he said, "so I doubt it's poisoned." He dabbed a finger in the mush and tasted it. Not bad. Something like oranges, but not quite. Maybe it was more like nectarines, he considered. Whatever it was, the taste was fairly pleasant and it had been a very long time since his last meal.

Karone followed his example and they ate in silence, digging the mush out of the bowls with their fingers and drinking the cups of water. Tommy finished the meal and wished he had a napkin.

"Do you think they'll come and tell us what's going on?" Karone asked.

"I hope so. They're a civilised race. I can't imagine them keeping someone prisoner without at least letting them know why."

"Andros says they aren't very keen on telling anything to anyone."

"Well, if he's the expert maybe they're talking to him and he's negotiating our release."

"I hope not," Karone chuckled, "his sort of negotiations usually involve lasers."

She propped an elbow on one knee and lowered her face into her hand, rubbing at her eyes.

"You OK?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah, I've got a bit of a headache."

As she mentioned it, Tommy became aware of his own head and a dull throbbing that appeared to be centralised behind his right eye. The dull throbbing rapidly became pounding. Within a few minutes, his head was agony. He lay on the padding, eyes closed because the lights were painfully bright, a point somewhere in the right of his brain hurting with every thought. He couldn't concentrate on anything enough to even consider why his head was filled with shooting agony. He couldn't think properly, he could only lie there and wish desperately for death or release from the pain, whichever happened to come first.

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Tobias woke up as a hawk. He must have morphed back while he was unconscious, which wasn't something that had ever happened before. He shifted back into human form and took a look around the room he was in. It didn't take long. The room was grey and empty, a couple of bits of cushioning on the floor serving as beds. There was no furniture and no way out aside from a door that wouldn't open for him.

He tried to work out what had happened. Remembering what he'd heard, he decided the Andelites must have thought they were Yeerks and taken them prisoner. All he needed to do was talk to them and tell them they were friends and then this would be alright. Hopefully.

He wasn't quite sure what they'd do about him. He knew that Elfangor shouldn't, according to Andelite law, have given him morphing powers. But Elfangor wasn't here to punish for that and he was.

They must know he was able to morph. So revealing another ability wasn't likely to get him in any more trouble. Probably.

_Hello_. He broadcast in thought speech. _Why am I a prisoner?_

Inoffensive. He didn't risk saying anything else. No sense making them annoyed. If there were Andelites around, they would have heard. No he just had to wait for them to answer.

Long minutes passed. Tobias paced the room. He worried about the others. Were they locked up like him? Were they free because they didn't have powers they shouldn't? Were they dead because the Andelites didn't give a damn about humans.

At last, the door opened and an Andelite walked in. A blue centaur, tall and powerful. Tobias stood his ground before it, hoping the alien couldn't recognise human fear.

Then the form shifted, the body morphing. To make it easier to talk to him? The form the alien took became familiar and Tobias stared in shock at a face he never thought he'd see again.

"Ax?"

"Hello, Tobias," Ax said.


	10. Chapter 10

Differential Geometry went well, I think. I've got Artificial Intelligence for Games tomorrow, but that should be OK. I hope. Grr, I hate exams!

Chapter Ten

The pain vanished. In less than a second, Tommy's head went from unbearable agony back to normal. Not even the faintest ache was left of the pain that had been burrowing through his brain. He sat up, almost afraid that the slightest movement would set it off again.

He saw Karone lying on the other side of the room, head clutched in her hands. Then she let go and looked around.

"What just happened?" she asked.

"I have no idea."

"I've never had a headache that bad."

"And I doubt it's a coincidence that it would happen to us both at the same time. Either there was a side effect from whatever knocked us out, or there was something in the food." He told himself that it might not have been deliberate, but he thought the Andelites would know enough about human biology to be aware what would do them harm. So much for this race being civilised.

Tommy had been hurt and seen friends hurt enough times that the mere thought of torture made him furious, but these creatures hadn't even been trying to interrogate them. There'd been no point.

Karone looked like she might break down and cry. Tommy moved to sit beside her and put an arm around her shoulders. "It's OK. It's over now."

"But what about Andros? What if they were hurting us as leverage to get him to do something?"

It was a possibility Tommy hadn't considered, but he had to admit it made some sense. He wasn't sure what to say because he wasn't sure what Karone most needed to hear; that her brother wouldn't let anyone hurt her or that he was too strong to give in to blackmail.

"We'll find a way out of this," Tommy promised.

He wasn't sure how, but he was already thinking of options. Making a break for it as soon as the door opened was probably the best plan. The difficulty was arranging things with Karone. The chances were the cell was under surveillance, in which case anything they said might be overheard. Tommy longed for the good old days when monsters explained their plans in details and then left him an easy escape route so he could go stop them.

But he was a Power Ranger. No mere headache was going to stop him finding a way out of here, finding his friends and finding a way to save his planet.

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"What's going on here, Ax?" Tobias asked.

"The scientists found one of your friends transmitting their research to a nearby Yeerk ship p p p." Ax's reverse stutter was back and Tobias almost raised a smile at the sound. He'd been on his own for far too long and now his friend was standing right in front of him.

And saying impossible things.

"There must be a mistake. We went there to help. We destroyed the Yeerk ships."

"One of your friends is a controller."

Tobias stared. "That's not possible. Andros checked to make sure Tommy hadn't been invested."

"Did you check him?"

"Well, no," Tobias admitted, "but if he was a controller, he wouldn't have cared if Tommy was."

"Perhaps he was trying to gain your cooperation."

"He didn't know I was there. This doesn't make sense."

"The one you call Andros is a controller," Ax said, with such certainty that Tobias had to accept he knew what he was talking about.

Not again. He barely knew Andros, but he'd already started to consider the man a friend. And now it turned out he had a slug in his brain. There were times when Tobias felt he was cursed, that everyone around him was doomed to get Yeerked or killed.

"What happens now?" Tobias asked.

"My father thinks we should use your friends as a test t t t."

"A test of what?"

"The research the Yeerks wanted to know about is a chemical compound that causes a morphing reaction in minds that don't normally have the ability. It makes the brain's shape alter significantly for a short time, forcing a Yeerk to leave."

"It frees controllers?"

"In theory. It has not been tested yet on a living subject."

"And your father wants to use my friends as lab rats?"

"This weapon could free all humans who are under Yeerk control."

A weapon. Finally, something that could help them win. Tobias had spent too long alone and disheartened. He couldn't quite believe what Ax was suggesting. A way to make every Yeerk leave its host.

"You said," a thought struck Tobias, "people without morphing ability."

"If an Andelite were to ingest the chemical, their morphing ability would go out of control. They may lose the ability. They may be stuck between forms. They may die."

"What about... what about people like me? What about those Elfangor gave the gift to?"

"Prince Jake?" Ax asked, sounding concerned. So he didn't know. He'd left Earth before Jake had been captured, he couldn't have known.

"And Rachel," Tobias said.

"What of Marco and Cassie?"

"They're dead. There's just me left."

Ax turned away. The grief was obvious, even on the face of one not used to human expressions. Tobias wished he'd thought of a way to soften the blow. He'd had a long time to accept the idea, but Ax hadn't. The Andelite had become one of them during his time on Earth. He'd been especially close to Marco and Tobias had just dropped the bombshell without even thinking.

"This chemical?" Tobias asked, "Can it save Rachel and Jake?"

"I don't know," Ax answered.


	11. Chapter 11

Lie Algebras was either really, really easy or I didn't write anything like enough. Cryptography was pretty bad, but it could have been a lot worse. Natural Language Processing was moderately evil, but at least I was able to write something for each question.

Only one exam left, but it's Advanced Algebra.

I think that's a valid excuse for this chapter being short.

Chapter Eleven

Pain. Crushing agony in his mind. Andros reached up to press hands to his face, barely aware that it was his own thoughts that caused that reaction. The pressure continued, pushing inside his brain.

There was a shift, and the pain seemed focused by his right ear. He felt the squeezing and was able to remember through the suffering what this feeling meant. The pressure in his ear vanished as something pulled free. Moments later, the headache disappeared and Andros scrambled away, staring at the black slug that lay on the floor where he had been.

He hovered somewhere been laughter and tears, exultation and horror. He moved his hands and stared around the room, knowing it was truly himself doing the moving. Free! He was free!

The Yeerk looked so small and pathetic now. Andros saw it moving across the floor. It would die like this, without a host or a Yeerk pool. He watched it struggling and hoped it was painful.

Andros looked around the empty, grey cell, wondering where Karone was, desperately hoping the Andelites wouldn't hurt her for what had been done through him. She'd been hurt enough. Zhane.

He fought not to cry. The delight to his sudden freedom couldn't erase the memory of what his hands had done. He remembered the look of shock and confusion on Zhane's face when the Yeerk had attacked him. He remembered the sight of Zhane tumbling down a rocky cliff side. He remembered the sound of his own voice, telling Karone how Zhane had attacked him, how Zhane must have been infested, how Andros had tried to pull him up from the edge of the cliff only to watch Zhane lose his grip.

How could she ever forgive him for this?

The door opened and an Andelite walked in. A huge, powerful creature. Andros stood, wanting to explain that none of this was his fault, but no doubt the alien knew already. What he would find out was whether he cared.

_Human_, the voice arrived in Andros' mind, _what do the Yeerks know of the Maydor chemical? _

"The what?" Andros asked.

_Do not lie to us, human. We know you were trying to steal information on it._

"The Yeerk inside me knew you were trying to create a weapon using morphing technology. He was ordered to find out what it was. They didn't know any details. I... it didn't have a chance to transmit anything before your people found me on the research station."

_They do not know what it is or what it is capable of? _

"No. That was what the Yeerk inside me was sent to find out."

_What can you tell us the Yeerk fleet deployment?_

"I'll tell you anything I can but, please, can I see my sister? Is she alright?"

The other humans who were with you are imprisoned here. They have no been harmed. We will allow you to see them when you have told us what we wish to know.

The Andelite asked questions. Then more questions. Then he followed up with a few queries. Andros stood there, trying to recall all that he'd seen and heard while under Yeerk control and feeling useless because most of the time he'd been too busy fighting for his body to pay attention to what the Yeerk was doing. He got the feeling the Andelite wasn't happy with the answers he was giving.

"Look, I've told you all I can remember," Andros said after a long spell of interrogation, "please will you let me see my sister."

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Tobias sat alone in the cell, waiting for Ax to return. Ax had gone to his father to give the message that Tobias wanted to talk to him, but he hadn't been hopeful about the odds. The Andelites weren't happy that Elfangor had given away the morphing power, and Ax's father was furious that a member of his family had been behind it.

Tobias wasn't too surprised when Ax came back and said that his father had refused a meeting.

"So what happens now?"

"Most likely, my father will release you all once he's learned what he can from your friend."

"Is Andros alright?"

"Yes. He's free of the Yeerk. The chemical works."

Relief was almost a solid force inside him. It wasn't the same as getting his friends back, but it was proof it was possible. It meant there was hope for his planet.

"I'm sorry I lost my temper earlier," Tobias said, "when you talked about using them as a test. I'm glad Andros is freed."

"Apology accepted d d d."

Tobias gave a small laugh. He'd been alone too long for this crazy, messed-up situation to seem good.

"Would you be able to give me some of the chemical?" he asked, "If I can use it on Earth, maybe I could stop the invasion."

"My father will never allow it."

"Have you asked him?"

"Yes, but it's forbidden to share our technology with other races. And this chemical is a powerful weapon against the Yeerks. He doesn't want the wrong people learning about it."

"Can you ask him again?"

"He won't change his mind."

Tobias almost wanted to punch something. The Andelites were such a stubborn, proud race. They had in their hands something that could save his entire planet but they wouldn't hand it over.

Tobias didn't think he could make Ax's father change his mind, but he had to try. The only way to do that was to speak to him.

He sighed. He hadn't wanted to do this.

He'd held on to the secret for too long, not even telling his human friends. But he didn't have a choice if he was to get the chemical. He turned back to Ax, bracing himself for his friend's reaction.

"Tell your father, that Elfangor's son wants to speak to him."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

The cell door opened and Andros stepped in, the door sliding shut behind him. Karone was on her feet in a moment, hurrying over to hug him. He held her back, clinging to her tightly. Tommy stood awkwardly to one side, waiting until the siblings were done with their affectionate greeting.

"Are you alright?" Karone asked.

"I'm so sorry."

"What for?"

"I," Andros began, then he stopped, looked away. He took a few steps from Karone, refusing to look at her. The young woman stood there, waiting for an answer, looking as confused as Tommy felt.

"It wasn't Zhane who was infested," Andros said, "it was me."

"What?" Karone had turned almost completely white. Tommy was too shocked to process the idea. Andros had been infested? That didn't make sense.

"Zhane figured out something was wrong, he guessed that it might have something to do with the Yeerks. He was determined to check to I... it attacked him. I pushed him over the cliff deliberately."

"No," Karone breathed. She was crying.

"I don't get it," Tommy said, "Why didn't it infest us? It had plenty of opportunity." He managed to avoid saying 'you'.

"It needed someone on the ship who wasn't under Yeerk control, who the Andelites would listen to, just in case the scientists insisted on scanning us. You could have gone in and convinced them we wanted to help, so that the Yeerk could get at the information it wanted."

"But you're free now?" Karone asked, "It's gone?"

"It's gone," Andros said, "The Andelites got it out of me with some chemical they've created. That's what they were working on at the research station. That's what the Yeerks wanted to know about." He looked close to tears. "I didn't mean any of it. I tried to fight, really I did."

"I know," Karone told him, "I know what it's like to have uncontrollable evil inside you." She hugged him again.

"No could blame you," Tommy confirmed. Andros looked across at him, almost as though seeing him for the first time.

"Thanks," he whispered.

"Whatever that thing made you do," Karone said, "it's not your fault." That didn't stop the tears in her eyes, as she thought about her lost love, killed by her brother's hands.

Tommy just stood there, watching the pair of them. He considered going over and hugging them both. They needed it. But they needed each other more, so Tommy did his best not to intrude as they wept together over Zhane, a best friend and a boyfriend stolen by the Yeerks.

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You claim to be Elfangor's son. The mindspeech was filled with scorn. Tobias stood before the largest Andelite he'd yet seen, the tall blue creature staring at him. Even the alien features managed to give off a recognisable aura of distaste.

He told me I was, and I trusted him, Tobias answered, speaking with his thoughts rather than words.

It is not possible.

When he died, he left a disk in the possession of me and my friends. It was activated by my touch. Tobias related what the message had said, what Elfangor had told him. It was the first time he'd so much as mentioned this, and now he was giving away the most intimate details to a complete stranger.

Ax stood nearby. Tobias didn't know what his friend thought of this. He'd left the cell to relate the message immediately and hadn't spoken, telepathically or physically, a word about it. Tobias wondered if Ax was hurt that he hadn't trusted him, or that Elfangor hadn't said something to him.

Ax's father listened to the whole story, which had to be a good thing. Then Tobias stood there and wondered what would happen now. If the Andelites decided he was lying, it wouldn't bode well for him.

I was aware he had a lover on another world, Ax's father said at last, and one of an inferior species. Tobias bristled at the insult but said nothing. He never informed me he had a child.

How would you have reacted if he had told you? Tobias wondered slightly too late if that question was slightly too accusatory.

You would have been furious. Tobias recognised the way the voice sounded in his mind. Ax had finally decided to join in the conversation and it seemed he at least believed Tobias' story.

Did you know of this? The senior Andelite turned on his son.

I knew Elfangor left the disk to Tobias. None of us knew what message was on it.

You believe this... human.

I have never knownTobias to lie. I believe him.

Tobias gave Ax a smile.

You would dare claim to be Andelite.

No, Tobias answered, I was born and raised human. I wouldn't want to pretend to be anything else. But I'm asking for you to help me. Please, give me some of the chemical you've created.

Out of the question.

Tobias was struggling to keep hold of his anger. This creature was acting so unbelievably smug and superior and with no justification other than his own conceit.

Elfangor gave his life to find me and give me a way to fight the Yeerks. You should be glad to help me. If my planet falls, the Yeerks will expand their armies and destroy you. Elfangor sacrificed himself for a slim chance of saving me and my world. Now you have something that I can use to stop the invasion of Earth once and for all, but you refuse to hand it over. I'm not asking for you to give up all your secrets, I'm just asking for something that will help both of us. But if you're too proud to do what's right, I can see why your son never told you about me.

Tobias knew he'd gone too far the moment he finished his rant. The Andelite stared at him for a few, long seconds, then he turned and walked out of the cell, his hooves sounding loud on the hard floor. The door shut behind him, leaving Tobias trapped again and he stood little chance of getting the Andelite leader to talk to him again after that.

Ax still stood there, watching him. His form shifted as he morphed into his human form.

"You sounded like him," Ax said, "You sounded just like my brother."


	13. Chapter 13

Sorry about the mindspeech being difficult to tell apart from the prose. It's in italics in my document and the preview on still came up with italics. Hopefully it'll be clearer this time.

Chapter Thirteen

Tobias had morphed back to his hawk form to get some sleep. He'd become used to sleeping as a bird, since sleeping as a human would mean losing his morphing ability. Unfortunately, the Andelites hadn't built their cells with perches, so he was struggling to get comfortable.

He'd just managed to doze off when the door opened and an Andelite clopped in. Tobias morphed back to being human, but the Andelite stayed the same, which meant it probably wasn't Ax. Tobias really wished he was better at telling these guys apart.

_Come with me, human._

Tobias decided that pointing out sharply that he had a name would probably not help him and he was in enough trouble anyway. He was just sick of the way these people acted like he was nothing but dirt. He came to the conclusion that he must have had the best possible sampling of the species in meeting Elfangor and Ax first.

He followed the Andelite through corridors that became gradually less dull and grey as they went along. The floors became carpeted and pictures, of sorts, started to be on the walls. They passed others who stared at Tobias without trying to conceal their curiosity. He felt more alone than he'd ever felt in his life, surrounded by these blue creatures who were so completely alien to him, yet who he knew to be his family.

At last, they reached a door, which opened to the Andelite's touch. Tobias stepped inside a room and stared round. There were no chairs or tables or anything that Tobias could really associate with furniture. Shelves up one wall held strange devices and there were machines near the centre of the room, which made him feel that he was in a lab. However a padded area of floor suggested that the purpose of the room might involve some comfort.

There was one Andelite in the room, waiting for him. He was standing by the shelves, looking at something that Tobias couldn't see. As the Andelite turned round, Tobias saw that the thing was a picture of three Andelites, two of whom looked much smaller than the other.

_My sons and I have frequently disagreed on matters of importance_, the Andelite said. _But Elfangor's last wish was to protect your world. I should honour that._

"Does this mean you'll help us?"

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They had decided to try to get some sleep. Karone and Andros had elected to share one of the padded areas. Tommy lay on the other one, staring at the ceiling, wishing he could turn out the lights in here almost as much as he was wishing he could turn his thoughts off.

Andros had been so thoroughly under the control of the Yeerk that none of them had guessed. So completely dominated that he hadn't been able to stop himself killing his best friend. Tommy remembered all the times he'd been under spells and wondered whether this was worse; to see exactly what you were doing and know you mustn't, and still be unable to stop.

What of the other Rangers? He wasn't sure exactly how long it had been since they'd left Earth, but he guessed it to be about two days. The Yeerks were in Reefside, they had a slug all ready for a Ranger host. Tommy didn't know how long they'd be stuck here, but it seemed a very real possibility that he'd get home to find all his friends infested with alien parasites.

He rolled over onto one side. The padding didn't quite live up to his standards of bed. He could see Andros and Karone, either asleep or doing a very good impression of it. Tommy was mildly surprised, expecting Andros to be kept awake by the same frantic worries that were racing round Tommy's head. Maybe his ordeal had just been more exhausting.

The door slid open, interrupting his thoughts. Tommy got to his feet, the other two stirring at the movement. Tobias stood there, grinning slightly, holding a black case in one hand. Behind him waited an Andelite.

"Tobias!" Karone said, "You're alright? We were getting really worried."

"I'm fine," Tobias said, "and we're free to go. This guy," he nodded to the alien behind him, "is going to take us back to your ship."

The Andelite turned and began walking, the humans quickly following. Tommy looked at the case Tobias held. It looked like some sort of metal and definitely very sturdy. Tobias gripped it tightly by the handle, as though he was scared it might escape if he loosened his hold.

"What's in the box?" Tommy asked.

"A gift. It's a chemical the Andelites have developed to force Yeerks to leave their hosts. They think it will work on anyone who's completely human."

"It worked on me," Andros said.

Tobias nodded, "Ax said they'd be using you guys to test it. Sorry about that."

"Why not you?" Tommy asked.

"Because I'm not completely human. I have their morphing ability, so it could trigger a catastrophic reaction in me."

"But what about Rangers? We have morphing powers."

"But not written into your DNA the way it is for the Andelites and for me. Rangers will react the same way as normal humans, but it could kill my friends if they drink it."

Tommy heard the pain in those words. He held in his hands a way to save the planet, but he couldn't use it to help those he cared about most. It must be tough, to go through all this and still feel a long way from being able to save his friends.

The Andelite led them to a huge hanger where the Megaship waited.

"Let's go," Andros said, "before they change their minds."

He went to the bridge with Karone to get the ship ready for take-off. Tommy went with Tobias to a lab so they could get a look at the chemical. Alpha was there, deactivated. Tommy had to hunt to find the on switch. He'd always considered Alpha another person, so it was somewhat disconcerting to have to find the on switch for a friend.

The robot came to life and started babbling about how he'd tried to prevent the Andelites taking control of the ship.

"It's alright, Alpha," Tommy said, "it's not your fault. Now can you help us analyse this chemical?"

Tobias had opened the case. Inside were neat rows of small vials, each filled with a clear liquid.

"There's not very much of it," Tobias said.

"The Megaship has a synthatron," Alpha said, "if I can map the atomic structure of the chemical, I can probably program the synthatron to create it."

"Cool," Tobias said, "How do we start?"

Alpha's answer was cut off by Andros' voice coming over the speaker system. "You'd better get to the cargo bay. We've got a stowaway."

Rather concerned, Tommy headed off in what he hoped was the right direction. He was clearly getting the hang of this ship; he only made a wrong turning twice and they quickly arrived at the cargo bay. Andros was there, aiming a gun towards a skinny guy who looked about Tobias' age.

Tobias laughed when he saw the intruder. "Does your father know you're here?"


	14. Chapter 14

Quite a few people have said they laughed at the previous chapter, which is weird 'cause I didn't think it was that funny. I guess it proves that people never read things in exactly the way you expect when you write them.

Chapter Fourteen

"If Alpha can produce a great enough quantity," Tommy was saying, "we can put it in the water supply and free a whole town at once."

"But not everyone takes a drink at the same time," Andros responded, "and the chemical takes effect within a few minutes. Those that haven't drunk the water might figure out what's going on and work out an antidote. At the very least, they'd be able to warn the Yeerks in other towns."

"They'd have to drink at some point."

"But we can't lace all the water on the planet. The synthetron has its limits."

"I've never seen them drink anything near the Yeerk pools," Tobias said, "Maybe they only eat and drink when they're out in the world pretending to be human. In that case, the freed controllers aren't going to tell the Yeerks."

"It only takes one Yeerk to see someone being freed and make the connection," Andros pointed out.

"Are you going to make any suggestions or just poke holes in ours?" Tommy snapped. They were all rather tense. They could all do with some sleep, but they wanted to have at least a vague plan before they got back to Earth. The Yeerks would certainly be on the look out for Tommy.

"Could we trick them?" Andros asked, "If we could find one person who we know is a controller and free them, that person can pretend to still be a Yeerk and trick others into drinking the chemical and then we give some of the chemical to those people and so on."

"That would take an awful lot of planning and it would only take one person to be caught for the Yeerks to have their own sample of the chemical and to be aware of the threat."

"Now who's poking holes."

Tommy sighed, "OK, let's call it a night. We'll get in touch with Hayley when we get back to Earth and see if she has any ideas."

"She might be a Yeerk."

"We can trick her into drinking easily enough and she's the best person to help come up with a new plan."

Karone smiled at Tobias and Ax, "Come on, I'll get you sorted out with somewhere to sleep."

She took them to a room similar to the ones Tobias had seen when he was poking around the ship. A thin layer of dust covered all the surfaces, which Karone apologised about.

"We were only expecting Tommy, so we weren't prepared for guests."

"It's fine," Tobias said.

"If you need anything, just yell. I'm right down the hall so I should here."

"Thanks." Karone left them. Tobias lay down on one of the two bunks. He closed his eyes, hearing Ax morph back into his normal form. They had a chance. He wouldn't have believed it a couple of days ago, but now he could. An old friend was lying down to sleep next to him, he'd been given a weapon that could destroy the Yeerks and he had new friends to help him do it. He still wasn't certain how they'd help Jake and Rachel, but if they could free the other controllers, that would be a great start and maybe one of them could help.

Tobias smiled to himself as he drifted off to sleep.

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Tommy strode onto the bridge feeling considerably more refreshed. Karone and Andros were already there, Ax and Tobias arrived a minute or so later. The Earth spun on the view screen, blue and green with veils of clouds. He didn't get to see his planet from orbit nearly often enough and this was a truly awe-inspiring view. Tommy stood there, watching the orb slowing rotate, impressed by the aura of apparent peacefulness.

"Welcome back," Tobias said to Ax.

"I've missed this world," Ax said, "particularly potato chips." Tommy grinned.

"We're all set," Andros said, "We'll teleport down to your house. There's no sign of any Yeerk ships, but Karone's going to stay up here just in case."

"Good idea," Tommy said.

"Does teleporting hurt?" Tobias asked.

"No. It just feels... kinda tingly."

"You ready?" Karone asked, at the controls for the teleporter. Tommy gave Tobias a quick glance before nodding. There was a sensation like pins and needles running through his entire body and the bridge dissolved around him, being replaced by the familiar sight of his kitchen.

Tommy led the way to the hidden stairs in his study. "We'll go to the lab and then I'll give Hayley a call and see if she can think of a way to... Never mind." He'd reached the bottom of the stairs and saw Hayley sitting at the computer, the former Dino Rangers sitting around the room.

"Dr O, you're alright!"

"We were really worried."

"You just vanished. And after saying something weird was going on, and all."

Tommy grinned slightly at the enthusiastic greeting.

"I'm fine, guys. Andros here had a problem he needed help with and there wasn't time to tell anyone I was going."

"Andros? The space Ranger. It is such an honour to meet you," said Connor, grabbing the hand of the former red Ranger and shaking it.

"You said something about calling me," Hayley said, crossing the room to join the excited teenagers who'd crowded round Tommy.

"Yeah, there's someone I want you to find. It's kind of important to know if he's still in Reefside."

The guys started asking questions about who this guy was, why Tommy was interested, whether he was really a creepy dinosaur in disguise. It was good to be home.

"Tobias," Tommy said, "why don't you go fix us all a drink? This could take a while."

"Sure."

"I'll give you hand," Kira volunteered.

"It's alright, I've got it." Tobias was the one carrying the only vial of the chemical they'd brought with them down to the surface. The rest were still up on the ship being analysed by Alpha, but they'd wanted some with them to make certain Hayley was really herself and Tobias seemed the obvious person to carry it.

Tommy headed for the computer, getting out the photo Ax had brought with him. It showed Ax and Tobias, as well as they others who'd fought the Yeerks with him. Apparently Ax had treasured the image in his time back on his home planet. For whatever reason he'd decided to bring it with him, Tommy was glad. He didn't want to try searching for someone he didn't have a picture of. Even Hayley would have a hard time doing that.

"The picture's a couple of years old, I'm afraid," Tommy said, "but I know this guy," he pointed at Jake, "was in Reefside the day I left and I need to know if he's still here."

"You never ask for anything easy, do you?" said Hayley, taking the picture and starting to hack into the town's CCTV network.

"So who is..." Connor started to ask, but was cut off by an ear-piercing screech coming from up in the house, followed by the sound of breaking glass.

"Kira!"

She wasn't in the lab. Tommy hurried up the stairs, the others running with him. Kira was stood in the kitchen. The floor was covered in broken glass at a huge puddle of fruit juice. Tobias stood by the table, soaked in juice and with a couple of small cuts on one hand from the shattered glass. The other hand held the empty vial.

"What happened?"

"He was putting something in the juice," Kira said, "He's trying to drug us or something!"

Oh boy! This wasn't going to be easy to explain.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Tobias stood there, covered in juice and shards of broken glass, confused as to how Kira had managed to shatter the jug. He'd heard of singers breaking glasses by hitting the right note, but this was ridiculous. His hand stung from the cuts caused by holding the jugs handle when it had broken. Just when his arm was starting to feel normal as well.

"How the hell did you do that?" Tobias asked. Tommy and the others ran into the room, quickly surveying the mess. Kira told them that she'd assumed he was trying to drug them. That was reasonable enough, since that was pretty much what he'd been intending.

"I knew what Tobias was doing," Tommy said, "that's why I sent him to make drinks."

"You knew?" Ethan sounded incredulous.

"What was that stuff?" Kira asked.

"It's perfectly safe," Tommy said, "I've drunk it myself."

Andros raised his wrist and pressed a switch on his communicator, "Alpha, could you teleport down another vial of the chemical."

"Right away, Andros."

There was a glowing light on the table and then another vial stood there. Everyone in the room watched carefully as Tommy retrieved another jug from the cupboard, half-filled it with water and then stirred the chemical in.

"I want you guys to drink it," he said.

"How do we know," Ethan asked, "that you're not some evil alien clone or shaft-shifting impersonator trying to trick us?"

"Yeah," Trent agreed, "everyone saw me at the Cybercafe when I was nowhere near there." Tobias decided that explaining how that had happened wasn't going to convince anyone they could be trusted.

"You want proof its safe?" Tommy poured about an inch of the liquid into the bottom of a glass and downed it. "Please, guys, I need you to trust me on this."

"When you put it like that," Hayley muttered, stepping forward to pour a small quantity into a glass.

"But it could be some sort of mind-controlling drug and you're already affected," suggested Ethan. Were these guys always so paranoid?

Hayley stared at her drink for a few more moments.

"Please, trust me," Tommy said. Hayley drank. The Dino Rangers watched, as though waiting for her to burst into flames or sprout horns.

"I feel... the same," Hayley said.

Trent stepped forwards next and drank some.

"What's this all about?" Connor asked.

"I'll explain everything, but first, please drink."

"I want to see him drink," Kira said, nodding toward Tobias.

All this time, Ax had been standing silently to one side, watching the exchange, studying the Rangers as they anticipated the unknown chemical. Perhaps something to do with the Andelite telepathic skill tipped him off. Perhaps he just knew better what to look for. However he knew, he was staring straight at Kira as he said:

"Yeerk!"

Tobias didn't have to ask if he was certain. At the word, Kira turned to run for the door. Tobias leapt, transforming mid-jump so he swooped down on her as the hawk, talons gripping into her hair. She shrieked, trying to bat away the bird. Someone else hit him, but by then Ax was across the room and in Andelite form, grabbing hold of Kira with strength greater than a human could fight.

Tobias let go of Kira, morphing into a lion and staring down Trent, who now backed off slightly. The three teenaged boys were standing shocked at one side of the room, in fighting stance, Hayley had moved to one side.

"You think you can win human?" the Yeerk in Kira demanded, "There are too many of us and soon we will control the Rangers. Your world will fall and we will use your powers to destroy the Andelite army. Then nothing will stand between us and the rest of the universe."

Tobias morphed back through the hawk and into human form.

"What the hell's going on?" Connor asked.

"Mind-controlling alien slugs," Tommy answered, "Drink!"

Tobias stood in front of Kira. "Where is Jake?" She didn't answer, "Visser Ten, where is he?"

"You think you can save your friend?" the Yeerk sneered, "He is of the new breed of Yeerk. He doesn't need to leave his host for the Kandrona rays. We have no weaknesses for you to exploit anymore."

"I've heard enough," Tommy said. He poured a significant amount of the liquid into a glass. Tobias held Kira's mouth open while Tommy tipped it in, then he covered her mouth and nose, tipping her head back, not letting her breathe until she had no choice but to swallow. She gasped for air as soon as the liquid had been forced down her throat.

"What is that?" she demanded.

"Your new weakness," Tobias said.

Tommy sank into one of the chairs, an elbow resting on the table as he put his head in his hand.

"Are you OK?" Hayley asked.

"The headache's started. It'll hurt like hell for a few minutes and then it'll be over." He looked up once more at Connor and Ethan, "Drink, please."

"What's happened to Kira?"

"There's an alien parasite in her brain," Tobias said, "The chemical forces it out. If you to are completely human, you've got nothing to worry about." The pair looked at Kira, struggling in Ax's arms.

"And who the hell are you?"

"Look, would you rather I turned back into the lion and bit your skulls open to check there's no slug in there?"

Tobias wasn't quite sure whether they believed he'd do it or if they were convinced by what the Yeerk had said, but each of them poured out some of the liquid and drank. By this point, Tommy was leaning forwards, head wrapped in his arms in something like a brace position. Trent and Hayley weren't looking much better. Trent slipped down to lie on the floor covering his eyes with an arm.

About a minute later, Kira stopped struggling and just slumped in Ax's arms. Ax let go and she crumpled to the floor. Tobias knelt in front of her.

"It's almost over, Kira, you're almost free."

Ax morphed back into his human form and they waiting as Connor and Ethan went under the affects of the chemical. After maybe quarter of an hour, Tommy stood up again, suddenly fine. He crossed to Kira, who was twitching slightly, a hand reaching to her ear.

"Will she be OK?" Apparently Trent was now recovered.

"She'll be fine, it's nearly over. Just be strong a little longer, Kira. It's almost done."

Her head raised slightly and a small, black slug dropped onto the kitchen floor. Kira recovered instantly, pulling away from it, staring at the Yeerk with a look of revulsion and horror. She was shaking. Tommy gave her a brief hug.

"You're free, Kira. You're safe."

"Oh, God," she breathed, "I told them everything." She looked up at Tommy, frantic and frightened, "I found more Ranger history information on your computer and I told them how to find all of them."

"It's not your fault, Kira. Whatever the Yeerk made you do, it wasn't your fault."

"But they now know how to find every Power Ranger on the planet."


	16. Chapter 16

There may be a slight delay before the next chapter. My sister's coming back from Australia so I'm going to my parent's house for a couple of days. I tried to be nice and didn't leave it on too evil a cliffhanger.

I'm assuming the Dino Rangers still have their special abilities on the grounds that Connor, Kira and Ethan had them in the SPD episode History before their morphers were recharged.

Chapter Sixteen

"It was inside my mind," Kira was saying, "It had access to my memories so it knew how to act to look like me. I tried to hide things from it, tried to conceal the Rangers, but it just kept pushing. I was screaming, trying to get you guys to hear me, but it just stayed in control."

"You're in control now," Tommy said, "and you're going to stay that way."

"I still don't get it," Connor said, "I get the space slugs and the mind-control thing. But who the hell are you?" He looked up at Tobias and Ax.

"My name is Tobias. I was given the ability to change shape by an alien called an Andelite in order to fight the Yeerks. This is..."

"Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill."

"We generally call him Ax. He's an Andelite who came to Earth to help us."

Kira looked up at Tobias. "You must have done some good. Visser Ten's orders were to kill you on sight."

Tobias stepped forwards, an excited look on his face, "Do you know where Visser Ten is?"

Kira nodded, "Yes. Well, sort of. I know where he'll be. I was supposed to lure the others into a trap this evening so he could infest them."

"Um," Connor interrupted again, "what the hell's a Visser Ten?"

Tommy listened with half an ear to the explanation given by Tobias and Kira. He was already thinking about what Kira had said of the trap. The Yeerks probably weren't certain he was back on Earth yet, and even if they were it would be easy to believe he hadn't contacted Kira. If Connor, Trent and Ethan walked into a trap, knowing that that was what it was, with the rest of them keeping an eye on things, they might be able to capture Tobias' friend.

"Do you know where Rachel is?" Tobias asked, "She's a girl with powers like mine and Jake's."

"I don't know. That thing was only inside me about two days, so there wasn't much time for me to overhear things."

"But if you can start mass-producing this chemical," Ethan said, "surely you'll free her eventually when we start getting everyone to drink it."

"We don't know how our bodies will react to the chemical. It could kill my friends or destroy their morphing powers or make them lose control of their ability so they can't keep a stable form. We don't know. We have to keep my friends apart."

"This brings us to the next question," Tommy said, deciding this was the time to rejoin the conversation, "How do we get every Yeerk in Reefside to drink the chemical close enough together so that they can't figure out what's going on in time to warn others?"

"We can't just put it in the water?"

Tommy explained the potential problems with that. They needed to find a way to make sure that the Yeerks would drink at around the same time.

Hayley turned to Andros. "Does your ship have sensors that allow you to detect humans?"

"Yes, but they can't separate controllers from the rest of the population."

"That doesn't matter. We can add something else to the water that leaves a faint trace that's detectable by your scanners. Then, after an hour or two, we start beaming groups of people who haven't drunk up to your ship. Drug them with something that will knock them out for a short time and then give them the chemical. If we start with people near those who've already drunk and work our way through the rest of the population."

"There are thousands of people in this town. It's going to be a big job."

"But it will work."

Tommy couldn't deny that, but 'work' was the main word. Even assuming half the people in Reefside drank, it could still take hours to get through the rest. That could still give a Yeerk time to work out what was happening and tell someone.

"We still could do with a way to make more people drink at roughly the same time."

"Cut off the water supply. If there's no water for a few hours, maybe a day, then loads of people will be thirsty and ready for a drink when we turn it back on."

"How do we do that though?" asked Trent, "Do we just go to the people in charge as Rangers and ask them to turn it off for a while?"

"Too risky," said Andros, "the people in charge may well be Yeerks. Besides, I think cutting off the supply will just tip off the Yeerks that that's the source of the problem when they see controllers starting to be freed."

Tommy sighed, "Quite possibly."

"It's a shame we can't just make it blazing hot so everyone will want to drink loads," Connor said. Tommy stared at him. So did the others.

"What?"

"If we bring the Megaship into the atmosphere above Reefside, it would be possible to run the engines at high power, venting the excess heat. It would raise the temperature by several degrees for a few miles radius."

"So much for preventing global warming," Hayley said.

Tommy grinned, "Andros, start working on it. Take Hayley with you; I'm sure she'll be able to help." Hayley was managing pretty well to conceal her excitement at the thought of seeing a real, live spaceship. "We'll stay here and work out a way to get Tobias' friend out of the way."

"I'm supposed to contact Visser Ten," Kira said, "and give him a securable location that I'll be leading the guys to tonight."

"He'll definitely be there?"

"Yes. I don't think there are many Yeerks in Reefside yet. They only came to get hold of Rangers."

"So we set up an ambush for the ambushers," said Connor, "If you two can turn into any sort of animal, you can become something big and scary."

"Maybe big and scary isn't the answer," said Tobias. He turned to Trent, "I owe you an apology. It was me pretending to be you the other day. I was the hawk in the woods; I acquired your DNA pattern when you touched me."

"That could work," said Tommy, "If Tobias pretends to be Trent, Trent can already be there using his chameleon power. I can be there invisible and Ax can be morphed into an unobtrusive form. We can have Andros ready on the Megaship to either teleport in and help or get us out of there if things go wrong."

"The Yeerks won't know what hit them," grinned Ethan.

Tommy looked at Kira. She was still looking pale and shaken. "It would mean pretending to be under their control still. Are you up to that?"

She nodded. "Just so long as I can squash the slug that put one of those things in my brain."

"You got it."


	17. Chapter 17

Sorry for the delay. I've been kinda busy. On the other hand, one of the things I've been busy with is seeing Sir Ian McKellen naked.

Chapter Seventeen

"This is weird," Connor said. He kept sending sideways glances at Tobias. Even Tobias thought it was weird, and he was used to changing shape. He was disguised as Trent, while the real Trent was somewhere near their destination using his powers to hide. He just had to trust that Tommy was with them invisible.

Nerves were causing an armada of butterflies in Tobias' stomach. If this worked, they might save Jake. After so long fighting alone, he might get his friend back.

He walked along the street with Kira, Connor and Ethan. As far as the Yeerks were concerned, she'd tricked them into coming here.

"If there's something weird going on," Ethan said, "don't you think we should wait for Dr O?" He was getting into character. They must be nearing the place.

"It shouldn't be dangerous," Kira answered, "It's just a reading on the computer. Besides, I don't know when Dr Oliver will be back and whatever's causing the energy spike could leave."

Tobias didn't say anything. The Yeerks probably wouldn't have a clue if he was acting like Trent or not, but he didn't want to risk it. Besides, he didn't trust himself to speak right now. This could mean a change in the fortunes of the war.

Kira led them down into an alley, lit by a flickering streetlight near the entrance and the dim, greasy light that slipped through a couple of high windows. Deserted and secluded, it was the perfect place for an ambush.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Connor asked.

"I'm sure."

Tobias looked around. Hopefully Tommy and Trent were somewhere invisible and Ax should be a fly on the wall or something. It was hard to feel confident when he couldn't even tell if the backup were here.

"It's the right place." Tobias spun round. Dark shadowy figures stood in the entrance to the alley, indistinct in the dim light. But Tobias had recognised the voice well enough.

"Don't try anything heroic." The figures were aiming what Tobias knew to be standard Yeerk guns. "You're more useful to us alive, but that won't stop us killing you if necessary."

"Who are you?" Connor asked, "What's going on?"

"The end of the Power Rangers." Kira managed to get the perfect, smug tone of voice. Then she walked towards the Yeerks. They didn't make a move to stop her as she joined them, standing right behind Jake.

"Kira?" Ethan sounded completely bemused.

"Your friend is one of us now," Jake said, completely oblivious to the fact that Kira was standing behind him, pulling out Andros' stunner gun.

"Now!" The shout seemed to come from nowhere. Tobias leapt, morphing to the hawk as he went, diving for Jake's face at the same moment as Kira shot him. Connor had become a blur, attacking one of the guys from all sides. The words, "Zeo Ranger five: red," filled the alley and then Tommy was leaping through the air to kick one of the others straight in the chest. Trent had appeared from his camouflage and, with help from Ethan, was tackling the third Yeerk.

Tobias joined in by diving for the face of whichever Yeerk appeared to be losing least badly. The fight was over quickly, the three Yeerk henchmen lying in pain on the ground, Jake unconscious.

Tommy lifted his wrist to speak into his communicator, telling Andros to beam them all somewhere secure on the ship. Tobias felt the unpleasant tingling sensation as the world around him changed and he was stood in a large, empty room.

Karone came in with a tray of cups, each with a little bit of clear liquid at the bottom.

"This is the first batch we've made in the synthetron," she said.

"Let's see if it works," was Tommy's comment.

Despite their defeat, the Yeerks struggled and it took two people to hold each in turn and force them to drink. Tobias morphed into lion form to prevent the others trying anything while they awaited their dose. It didn't take long for the affects to be obvious and then three black slugs lay on the deck.

Kira took the job of comforting them and telling them that they were safe now.

"What about him?" Connor asked. Tobias looked at Jake.

"The early breeds of Yeerk would die if they were kept away from the Kandrona for three days. I've seen it happen. All we can do is wait three days and hope that the Yeerk comes out on its own."

"It won't," this comment came from one of the newly-freed controllers. "Visser Ten is one of the new Yeerks. No matter how long you keep him from the Kandrona, as long as he's in a living host, he'll be alive."

"How sure are you that the chemical would kill him?" Tommy asked. Tobias looked at Ax.

"Early lab tests show that the morphing power will become uncontrollable. The exact affects are uncertain because we never tried it on a living subject."

Tobias stared at Jake, lying on the hard deck. He wouldn't want to be a Yeerk. He'd trodden on the first one to have infested him, grinding it into the ground until it was sludge. He was in there somewhere, no doubt longing to do the same to this one. Tobias knew this, he knew that Jake would want the chance of being free, no matter how slim it might be. That didn't make it any easy to say the words.

"Give him some," Tobias said. He turned away so he didn't have to see as the chemical was tipped down his friend's throat. He tried not to think about it in terms of the fact he might have just given the order that would kill Jake.

It was done now. All that was left was to wait. And pray to any deity who happened to be paying attention. Tobias stood there, silently begging for his friend to get through the next few minutes safely.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Tommy fought down the urge of vomit as he watched Jake shifting between shapes, accompanied by a crunching, slurping sound. Ethan had run out of the room, presumably failing to control the same urge. The guy's body wasn't staying the same for more than a second, each part of him changing independently of the others. Limbs became wings and paws, his skin became furred or scaled. His size and shape altered dramatically with every moment.

In those moments when his face was able to show recognisable emotion, Tommy saw nothing but pain.

"It'll be OK, Jake," Tobias kept saying, his voice edged with suppressed tears.

"It shouldn't be long now," Kira said.

Tommy couldn't even tell if Jake heard. The poor guy was writhing on the floor, unable to control what his body was doing.

Long minutes passed. Tommy was sure this was taking longer than it had done with the others. He felt so helpless, watching as Jake fought a battle with his powers.

At last, a tiny, black slug fell from his ear. But the changing didn't stop. Jake kept morphing through different shapes.

"You're free, Jake. It's gone," Tobias said, having a hard time now holding back the tears.

Tommy was beginning to wonder if it would ever stop, when it became clear the changing was slowing. Jake was still morphing between forms, but it wasn't the frantic mess of mutated shapes anymore. At last, after what seemed like hours, his body settled back into human form, lying motionless on the floor.

"Jake?" Tobias gently touched a still shoulder.

Jake jerked away, sitting upright in a sudden movement, looking ready to fight anyone around.

"You're safe," Tobias said, "The Yeerk's gone."

For a few moments, Tommy thought Jake didn't understand and wondered if the chemical had damaged his brain. Then Jake gave a puzzled smile.

"Tobias?"

"It's me. Ax is here too."

Jake still looked somewhat out of it. He reached up and touched his head, feeling his ear.

"It's gone," Tobias said again. He pointed at the slug on the floor, which was struggling to get away. "Do you want to do that honours?"

Tobias helped Jake to stand, who then brought his foot down on the alien, grinding it to nothing.

"How?" Jake asked.

"An Andelite weapon," Tobias answered, "We're going to use it to get all the Yeerks in Reefside. Then use it a town at a time."

"There aren't many in Reefside," Jake said.

"Do you know how many?" Tommy asked, deciding this was his moment to join in the conversation.

"About two dozen. We... They came to get you so they could use you to get at the Rangers. They hadn't started the full invasion of Reefside."

"Can you identify them? Where can we find them?"

Before Jake could answer, Tobias spoke up, "Let him rest a minute before you start interrogating him!"

Tommy could understand his point of view, but they had to act fast. If they moved now, the Yeerks wouldn't guess that Jake had been freed. He could call them together and order them to drink the chemical. The longer they waited, the more likely the Yeerks were to be suspicious.

"I'm OK," Jake said, though he clearly wasn't yet, "I'll do anything I can."

"I appreciate that," Tommy said, "Tobias is right that you deserve a nice long rest, but we've still got a planet to save."

They went through to the war room, Rangers and Animorphs sitting together to discuss their plans. Kira stayed with the other freed controllers. Tommy had wondered about bringing them in on their plans, but decided the fewer people who knew what they were doing, the safer it would be.

After a few minutes of rushed discussions, they came to the conclusion that Jake and the others, including Kira, would pretend to still be controllers. He would summon the other Yeerks on the pretence of celebrating the infestation of a highly influential Ranger.

Tommy had been a little hesitant about that point, but it would provide a reason for Jake to insist the Yeerks drank. He didn't have to fool them for long. He just had to act like a Yeerk for a few minutes until they'd tricked the Yeerks into consuming the chemicals. He could always take Andros' stunner in case something went wrong.

"You sure you're up for this?" Tobias asked.

Jake nodded, "I want to see them all dead."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Tommy followed Jake. Viser Ten, he reminded himself. If he slipped up and said the guy's real name, it would seriously mess up the plan. His communicator was set up to send an emergency signal to Andros at a moment's notice, who would then teleport the pair out of there.

Hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

They were basing this whole plan on the idea that Yeerks would obey orders from Jake without question. At least Tobias and Ax both agreed that it should work. Tommy just had to hope that Jake was up to bluffing a room full of Yeerks. He still looked slightly out of it, though Tommy could hardly blame the guy after what he'd just been through.

They reached a house. Jake walked in without knocking, Tommy following. He noticed the slight change in posture as Jake passed through the doorway. He stood a fraction taller, the expression on his face hardening.

"Sir!" Two men, who Tommy vaguely recognised as those who'd attacked him in the parking lot, stood to attention, one aiming a weapon at him. He stood his ground, trying to look like he had every right to be here.

"Stand down Innes Five Nine Seven," Jake ordered. The Yeerk lowered his weapon.

"Summon the others," Jake commanded, "We have great reason to celebrate. And then we need to prepare for our move against the UN and the other former Rangers there."

Tommy desperately prayed his expression showed nothing of what he was feeling. Of course, it made sense that the next targets would be Trini and Zack. Their work in Switzerland had, almost inevitably, led them both into a political career and they now worked with the United Nations. The Yeerks' plan was brilliant. Use Tommy to get to them, and then use them to get the members of the UN infested. From there, they would be in a position of enormous power.

He had to keep reminding himself that that wasn't going to happen. They were here to trap the Yeerks, not the other way round.

"We have great reason to celebrate," Jake said, as more Yeerks entered the room, some coming from elsewhere in the house, others entering the front door in response to the summons. "We have control of the most influential of the Power Rangers. From here, we will make our move and no one will be able to stop us in our domination of the Earth. When Visser One rewards me, I shall not forget the part each of you has played."

"You're being promoted, sir?" one of the Yeerks asked.

"Visser Three has failed too many times. We, however, are well on our way to winning. Visser One has often complained about Visser Three's inability to conquer such a primitive planet. I will succeed where he failed. When this world is under our power, it will be given to me, and you will be beside me, victorious."

The room was fairly crowded now. Tommy guessed that everyone was here.

Jake smiled at the assembly. "Let's celebrate the downfall of humanity, with a nice human custom." A few chuckled at the suggestions. Jake pulled out a bottle of champagne. It had been carefully sealed so no one could spot that it had been opened and the contents tampered with.

Tommy watched as one of the Yeerks went to fetch glasses and Jake poured out a small portion into each. Tommy took one, the other Yeerks barely giving him a glance. They thought there was no way Jake's Yeerk could be taken from him, so they didn't question that the infestation of Tommy had been successful. No wonder it was taking them so long to take control of a planet supposedly undefended; none of them showed any ability for independent thought.

Jake raised finished pouring and raised his glass. "To the downfall of humanity."

The Yeerks repeated the toast, Tommy forcing himself to speak with the others. He raised the glass to his lips but didn't drink. He watched as the Yeerks drank their chemical-laden beverage.

"Now, to business," Jake said, "We will go to New York. Tommy," he said the name with a slight smirk, "will contact his friends to arrange a meeting." Jake kept talking, but Tommy was watching the Yeerks, seeing as first one then the others started reaching for their heads. Jake stopped speaking when the first of them collapsed to the ground, grasping at his head. The others began doing the same only seconds later.

Jake sagged too, sitting down in a nearby seat. Clearly the effort of pretending had taken its toll.

"You did brilliantly," Tommy said.

"Thanks."

They waited, watching for the long minutes as the controllers lay there in pain, until the black slugs were forced free. Jake crushed each of them the instant they slid from their hosts' ears. Tommy spoke quietly to the freed humans, telling them that they were safe now.

"How?" one asked.

"A new weapon," was Tommy's reply, "but that's all I want to say for now. The less people who know about it, the harder it will be for the Yeerks to find out and stop us using it."

They accepted this answer as easily as the Yeerks had accepted Jake's suggestion of the toast. Tommy had to assume that it was just the shock and confusion of suddenly being free, because he didn't want to consider the idea that his own species were as good at dumbly following orders as the Yeerks.

"You'll be OK now," Jake said, "There aren't any more Yeerks in this area to suspect that you've been freed. Don't try and contact the Yeerks, not even to trick them. Don't do anything to draw attention to yourselves. The Yeerks will have more than enough to deal with soon enough to notice you."

"You can't possibly think we'll stop them."

"I have fought a lot of enemies who thought they couldn't be beaten," Tommy said, "They all lost. We will stop the Yeerks."

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Jake stood in the room that he'd been given on the Megaship. It made sense for him to be here, because just about every Yeerk knew what he looked like. He wasn't quite sure where they were going next. He knew Tommy and Tobias were arguing about that. Tommy wanted to contact the former Rangers and make sure they were safe. Tobias wanted to go to a city overrun with Yeerks and try out the plan of overheating it and lacing the water supply. That way, he argued, the officials in whichever city they chose would be able to warn the world about the threat.

Jake had left them arguing. He felt somewhat guilty that he didn't really care which of them won. He was just glad someone was fighting.

It was weird to have control of his own body again. This was something he'd been wanting since the first moment that slug had been slipped inside his ear. Yet now it happened and he just felt numb. Like he wasn't quite himself. Maybe the truth of it just hadn't sunk in. Maybe he'd be able to feel happy once he'd lost the feeling that the slug was still in there, going to regain control any moment.

Maybe it was just hard to feel like himself when he'd been someone else for too long. Maybe it was just hard to feel like himself when there was a piece missing.

He stood in front of the mirror and stared at his reflection. He concentrated on the tiger. It was his favourite morph, the one he'd used more than any other because it was the one that was most threatening. He'd gone through the change so many times that it was second nature to shift now. Or at least it had been.

A completely human face stared back at him from his reflection. He tried the dog, the lizard, even his brother, but it was still his own reflection staring out at him.

He needed to tell Tobias and Ax about this. But they were so happy that he'd been freed without being harmed that Jake almost couldn't bear to break that illusion.

He stood there, alone in a borrowed room, and felt useless. They were finally in a position to strike back at the Yeerks, to take back their planet, and he was just another freed controller, whose only job was to stay out of the way and not get hurt.

The door opened. Tobias was there, grinning.

"You finished arguing then?" Jake managed to force a smile.

"We're going home!" Tobias said.

Home, to his family and his controlled brother. To the town where most of the population were infested. To where it had all begun. Jake's smile became almost real. There was too much work to be done here to stand around moping about his lost ability. They were going to free Rachel and Tom and all the others they'd seen change over the years.

They were going to win.

The End


	20. Announcement

A new science fiction thriller is coming out this month.

Child of the Hive


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